Killer Instinct
by Chibi Nataku
Summary: PreKingdom Hearts Born from alternative means, the relationship between Cloud and Sephiroth starts as last members of their race. They were meant to rule the planets, but something gets in the way and creates a severe rift between them.
1. Chapter 1: Birth

**Killer Instinct - Chapter 1: Birth  
**By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

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Perfection.

Was that such a difficult endeavor to attain? It appeared to be for Ansem and the apprentices that followed the little silver-haired faker about the castle, but he was reminded that patience was a virtue for the strong. Despite his 'virtue' of patience, he was not certain why this process took so long, though the fruits of his labours were plain to see in some regard, but it really was the same fruits he had been staring at for the last two months.

He had been assured of success this time though, but he trusted Ansem – the fake – about as much as he could verify the gravity dynamics that entrenched the man's silver hair. His patience was wearing thin, which was very dangerous, especially since he had nearly lost what he had come so far to attain. Ansem had proved to be incompetent when knowledge and power came into the mix, but he had thankfully been around to salvage his precious creation before any damage could occur to its fragile exterior.

A small smile graced the corner of his lips as he swirled the dark brandy in his glass, his glowing green eyes settling on the object laid on the middle of room surrounded by soft pillows and blankets. The smooth curve was only marred with the natural dimples that occurred on such an exterior, the white shell hiding that which lay so precious beneath. The large egg had been so carefully deposited on the pillows to rest under the moon's light until the time of Coming was upon them both.

Climbing to his feet slowly, silver hair gently swished to and fro with each step, bringing him closer and closer to the unmoving object until he could reach out and touch it. There was a radiated warmth from it, one that had been steadily growing since its first creation. He walked around the white object, admiring it even as he extended a leather-clad finger to stroke a line around the entire circumference of the large egg.

His patience was wearing very thin. No movement, no shift of anything inside, no recognition that damage had taken place. Too many long nights and days had he spent watching and waiting for his perfection to appear.

What form would it take? He would not know until it appeared, but it would be a being much like himself, apart from humanity and with attributes beyond any mortal. Would it be male or female? Would there any marks or damage to the little being when and if it emerged?

The simple thought of 'if' made his temper flare. The ingredients for this spell had not been easy to find and twice as difficult to bring to one place for the scientists to create. Phoenix bones, a demi-god's blood, unicorn's horn, mermaid flesh and scales, star-dust of the gods… it had taken him too long to gather only a small handful of the ingredients, twice as long for every thing else. Spells had been required, tasking amounts of them, which only he was determined to provide to engrain some amount of recognition on whatever stepped from the egg to greet him. He had put in too much time, effort, and pain for Ansem – faker he reminded himself – to screw this up.

This was his last chance.

Slowly, he lowered his head and pressed his ear against the hard shell, stroking his gloved hands down the sides. It was one of the only items in his current possession that he was silently protective of. He could hear nothing inside, and he reigned in any thought of shaking the egg in hopes for a response or perhaps a final dash to his hopes.

"How long do you plan to take, precious…" he whispered. While the question should have been accented with some form of annoyance and demand, he only spoke with curiosity and a strange hopefulness. "I do not like waiting, little one… let me see you."

There was no response to his gentle spoken prodding for awareness of it anything inhabited the egg at all. He pulled his head back and soon after, his hands as well. He stepped back and began to pace, his hands folded behind his back as he allowed his thoughts to drift elsewhere to when the Heartless would arrive on this section of the world. When that happened, he would be forced to once again move his precious cargo to a safer location, if there would be anywhere left safe on Hollow Bastion. Ansem had done a wonderful job making things difficult for everyone, including himself who was normally free to move as he liked.

But with the fragile egg, he was stuck as protector to the white object. He could not move it off world for fear that it would break under the pressure, and that hope would be lost to him forever. With the Heartless roaming free and unchecked, he kept at a constant vigil over the ivory object, having nearly already lost it once to the Heartless before he moved it the first time. The black splotches that had tainted its surface were gone thankfully, but it made him more protective over the object.

_Simply give me my perfect half, and never again will I bother with other things_ was all he could think. Too long had he waited in anticipation, the brashness of youth having faded away to an unspoken desperate need to fulfill this last duty.

Walking to the window, he stared out over the lands and forests beyond. He flexed his shoulders in agitation, considering removing his leather overcoat to allow his wing freedom. The night air was warm, and he could do with the loss of the heavy layer of clothing even if the heat never did bother him. He considered a while longer before his left hand flexed, wanting to grab his blade and make use of its steady weight in his grip. To do so meant he would have to leave the abandoned mansion and the white egg that was protected in it.

Sighing, he bowed his head and closed his eyes a moment, considering what he would do if this failed. _Kill, of course,_ was the first thought that came to mind for him. Perhaps spilling a little blood would make him feel better about the loss of perfection, and at least he could take some comfort in Masamune's whispering in his ears.

His head snapped up at a sound from behind him, and he immediately turned to regard the large egg placed in the middle of the room. It had not moved, and his eyes darted around room for any sign of intruder, stalking over to stand next to the egg as he carefully investigated the room. His left hand flexed, but he could not determine the source of the sound, probably his mind playing deceiving tricks on him.

His glowing green eyes darted down when another sound echoed softly, fixing on the precious creation next to him. Could it be? He stepped over to it cautiously, stopping dead from making another step when there was a definite subtle shift of the egg followed by that same sound, like a weak squeaking call. He responded with a silent resonance of his being, waiting for a reciprocation… one that never came, just another squeaking call.

Despite himself, he was instantly over at the ivory egg, laying his hands on the surface and listening, his eyes fluttering shut at that same weak call. "Yes… my precious perfection, I feel you," he said softly, stroking his hands down the sides. He resonated again, pouring out a fraction of his power towards whatever lay beneath the shell's surface, and he was left to wait for a response of power that never came.

What was wrong with the little one? Perhaps injured? Perhaps the shell blocked their contact?

The urge to smash the shell open grew when there was a distinct shifting, like a creature struggling to make a way out. He lifted a hand and then paused, dropping it again to simply stroke the surface. If he helped to break it free, the little one on the inside could never learn to be independent of his strengths or perhaps would be too faulty to be useful to him. No, his perfect other would have to break out as he had so many years before.

Another soft squeaking noise brought a smile to the corner of his lips, and he leaned over, his silver hair pooling down one side of the egg as he looked for cracks. He could not see any, but he rocked with the shift of the egg, curling his fingers against the surface and resonated his being outwards to the one under the ivory shell. "Come to me, precious…"

Whatever lay beneath only squeaked in weak desperation, the roll of the egg going a bit more violent as the creature shifted about. He took a step back and pulled off his gloves, tossing them on the chair that he had been seated on, stepping aside as he slipped out of his leather overcoat. He dropped it down to the ground as his eyes remained fixed on the swaying egg in front of him, seemingly transfixed with it with the entirety of his being.

This was what he had waited so long for.

"Ansem… maybe you are not such a useless doppelganger." He approached the egg again, walking around it and counting each of the small cries coming from within it. The creature sounded to be having trouble, and, while his pacing had taken up a darker impatience, he kept to himself to allow this possible perfection to emerge without his aid.

He thought he would have burned a hole in the carpet with his intensity as he paced and circled the egg, too long passing with the struggles of his creation faltering the longer time went on. Each time he resonated his power in hopes of encouraging the little one out to him, he received no response from whatever lay within. He snarled and spat a curse, no longer approaching the egg and simply pacing around it.

A crack finally appeared, thin and marring the egg's surface. There was a soft squeaking call in response, the sound of clawing at the side where the crack had appeared. He tried not to grow excited as the crack grew and bits of shell fell away, revealing the softly fading struggles of what lay underneath the surface. The squeaking noise grew louder with the cracks growing larger and flecks of shell falling away.

He resonated his power again, and he stopped his pacing when the struggling creature paused, obviously feeling the push of his presence. It took a tense moment, but there was a tentative resonating back to him. Just after, he could have sworn that he had seen a flash of blue eyes peering out of the small holes in the shell, but it might have been the moonlight as the struggles took up a new ferocity, possibly because the end was in sight for the perfect being.

Walking like a dream over to the chair, he seated himself on the edge and simply watched as the little being cracked open the eggshell more and more. As more of the creature began to appear, he only then came to realize just how b not /b this creature was. There was a full-grown humanoid shape in that egg, a tight fit for sure, and the moonlight accented pale skin. A flash of the occasion black caused a pleased noise to leave his throat, having always enjoyed the look of dark hair.

The eggshell cracked under the brutal assault of the little creature held inside, and it was quite the shock when the ivory flecks finally gave way and dropped a wet, shivering and exhausted mass of disoriented limbs upon the floor. It took him by such surprise that he did not climb to his feet right away to gather up the squirming being to recover in a more comfortable place. No, his gaze was locked elsewhere.

There, those flashes of black were not hair at all, but… a wing? His green eyes focused down as the leathery demonic appendage flopped about uselessly, attempting to help in the process of righting the weak being. It stretched out and dragged itself back to pale shoulder, the claw making a vain attempt to cling in the carpet to push upwards but failing every time. The only feature that offset the wing was a clawed demonic hand, clutching and pushing in the same manner as the wing.

It was not right. The wing was supposed to be white and full of a crown of feathers. His perfection had been tainted by that lone encounter with the Heartless, he concluded after watching the pathetic struggles awhile longer. It was useless to him like this.

Drawing himself to his feet, his Masamune came to his hand as he felt coldness running through his entire being. Someone would pay for this, would pay for the fact he now had to put this one chance out of its misery and count his losses. Such a tainted creature had no place in this world, least of all his world.

He drew the blade up, aiming to swipe the being's head clean from shaking shoulders. His blade came down and stopped suddenly when blurry blue eyes turned to regard him, eyes that reminded him of home, a place he had not been to in so very long. Blonde lashes stuck together even as the creature blinked and flopped over, equally unruly blonde hair wet from the yolky contents of the egg and clinging to a pale neck. Eyes like the blue skies of home, hair like the sun, black wing like the nightmares of children. Unable to defend itself, there was only one thing he could call this being…

"Perfect," he whispered, the word escaping him as he found himself staring into a pretty young face, features lax and disoriented. Sharp rounded jaw and fine features from the high cheekbones and perfect set of the eyes… it was all simply perfect.

The being flopped about in the remnant of clear fluid from the egg, unable to get up, and it was obviously tolling on the creature's reserves. He walked over, resonating his power and finding it instantly resonated back to him, a welcome to his approach. He stopped and fell into a crouch, only then realizing that the being before him was a male, not a female as he had first thought. He should have been able to tell by the strong compact shoulders and lean chest, but he admitted to be taken too much with the glowing blue eyes that stared back at him.

"…" It was obvious the blonde male tried to utter a word, but it came out as a pathetic noise.

Silver hair slipping over his shoulder, he made no fuss over reaching out and dragging the struggling being closer to him, pulling the blonde over by wet hair when the other fought him out of instinct. He scooped up the mess of limbs and body into his arms and stood, looking down at the young male that resonated his people's power.

"…"

"Call me Sephiroth," he said simply when the attempt to speak was failed again. He cradled the hopelessly awkward blonde in his arms, feeling the gentle shiver of muscles under his grip, and he knew the smaller male must have been getting cold. "We eclipse each other, little one. You and I… are the last, two sides to one coin."

The blonde just stared blankly up at him, obviously not understanding a word he said. He did not mind in the least, and simply walked them to the bathroom of the mansion, kicking open the door and looking into the bathtub. He smirked and set his precious package down, quirking an eyebrow when the blonde pitched backwards in a complete show of helplessness. He would have worried with the loud noise that the smaller male might have hurt something in the pathetic dump, but the blonde was doing a wonderful job showing pure stubborn resilience in the attempt to sit up again.

Instead of helping, Sephiroth simply leaned forward and plugged the tub before turning the water on. It was too hot, and the blonde made a loud protesting noise to tell him so. He heeded to the squeaking twisting of pale flesh after taking in the roll of muscles, rise of long legs, and flailing arms. He turned on some of the cold water and splashed it at the blonde, receiving an indignant wordless cry along with the flapping of the demonic wing.

As the water began to rise, it became obvious to him that, despite the blonde's efforts, the smaller male would not sit back up without aid. The blonde was sticky with yolk and amniotic fluids, and some of it had smeared on himself when he had transported his precious goods over to a safer place. He doubted he would stay long in this place, not with the Heartless about to cause trouble, so the stronger he managed to get the smaller male, the better the situation would be.

Sephiroth stripped himself of his boots and pants quickly before the water level rose too high, and then he stepped into the bathtub with the blonde who thrashed in the water. It was obvious the perfect creature was spirited, refusing to give up despite exhaustion. He bend and scooped the blonde up under the arms, pulling the smaller male up to sit before he stepped in behind and seated himself. The blonde swayed a moment before pitching backwards again but into his chest this time.

"…"

"Sephiroth," he said simply. If he could engrain his name in with the blonde, he would have less problems later on. He patted the smaller male's sticky hair when it appeared that the blonde was becoming distressed. "Sephiroth is here, little one."

It did not settle the blonde much, and Sephiroth leaned back to regard the smaller male propped up thanks only to him. It would be silly to wander around calling the blonde 'little one' all the time, the use of a proper name required. He eyed the blonde now sitting quietly in front of him, looking completely miserable without the ability to be anything but helpless.

He splashed some water onto the blonde, receiving a soft hiss of disapproval. He ignored the noise and rubbed off the remnant sticky amniotic fluid from the blonde's legs and chest, pulling the smaller male back hard against him before the blonde could pitch forward in struggles to escape him. He seized the blonde's hair hard when the struggles persisted, jerking the smaller male's head back and issuing his own snarl along with a strong resonating of his power into a fine point against the blonde's spine.

The response was almost instantaneous, the clear show of his dominance for this situation forcing the blonde's struggles to subside. That business taken care of, he began to wash the new addition to his life down, issuing his name every time the blonde attempted to speak. They managed to get along for that moment of bathing until he simply pushed the blonde forward and dunked the smaller male's head into the water with the obvious drowning situation arising and bringing with it a new set of struggles and thrashing. He reminded himself that treating this little one as he would a grown member of his race was not the wisest idea until the blonde had recovered enough strength to realize his actual motivations.

The blonde still hissing and snarling at him, Sephiroth climbed to his feet and left the bathtub still full of water. He silently padded over to the unmade bed and unceremoniously dumped the blonde upon it, grabbing the covers and wrapping the blonde in them both to subdue the smaller male and keep the blonde warm.

He knew that he would have to clean up the left behind shell shards, but for now, he stared down at the shivering and miserable blonde. The smaller male was no less disoriented or strong than the first spill out onto the floor, obviously needing some form of protection for a little longer before he dumped the blonde out into the world to learn.

Reaching out, he seized the blonde's chin and tilted the pretty face up towards himself. He stared into the glowing pools that still reminded him of home, droplets of water making the blonde much darker. He ran a callused thumb over the blonde's cheek, smearing the water there as he regarded the smaller male with the tiniest hint of outward fondness.

This was what he had been waiting so long for, a being just like this.

"Cloud," he murmured softly, regarding the blonde a bit more seriously, trying to decide if the named fit. The blonde did not attempt to make a sound towards him, and he slowly nodded his head. He had been thinking about it the entire time during bathing the blonde. "Yes, Cloud… your eyes are the colour of the deep evening sky and hair the colour of the sun… you are a drifter?"

The blonde still made no response towards the name, and Sephiroth took that as a silent sign of acceptance to the name. He smirked a little and gently pushed the blonde backward to lie on the bed, leaning over and tucking Cloud in more to limit any struggling. "Sleep here for a little while, and then I will move you to a safer place. You are my charge now, blessed to me by the skies… rest and regain your strengths."

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**Author's Comments  
**It sure took me long enough to get a fic going that I could actually post. Actually, there were many fics that I could have posted here, but I decided not to... because I'm a brainiac or something. The other fics were just one-shots anyway. I wasn't sure about writing another Kingdom Hearts fic either, but this idea came to me and couldn't be passed up. So, here we go again with epic Kingdom Hearts ficcies.

Any comments or suggestions are always welcomed. I love hearing from those who read my work.


	2. Chapter 2: Infancy Part 1

**Killer Instinct - Chapter 2: Infancy Part 1**  
By Chibi Nataku 

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

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"How long do you plan on spending up there? You will tire soon enough, and I know where there is a large weapon to prod you into simply coming down now, you know?" Sephiroth tapped his fingers against his bicep as he watched his latest edition cling stubbornly to the ceiling in one corner. All of this over simply trying to fit the blonde with proper clothing? It was probably the fact that the last real close interaction they had was a shaving lesson where he had 'slipped' with the razor and managed a decent cut across the blonde's throat lightly.

He sighed heavily when it was apparent that Cloud was not coming down from the ceiling any time soon, and he smirked at the corner of his lips when there was a loud growling noise when he moved closer. "Now now, Cloud… no need to have a temper tantrum like a child."

"…"

Sephiroth swung his left hand out, the Masamuse shimmering to life into his grip. His eyes narrowed when Cloud immediately responded by launching from the ceiling to the floor, landing like a cat on all fours before bolting at him. Bringing the long blade around, he fully intended to stop the blonde, but he underestimated Cloud's speed and watched as the blonde flipped over his swinging blade and tackled into him, claw swinging. It was followed by red hot pain against his side, and he stepped aside, letting Cloud pass him by to minimize damage taken.

He turned himself to face the blonde crouched almost innocently on the floor licking off his blood as if it were just another past time. The close-quarters of the room limited what he could do with his sword, and it was clear that Cloud wanted to keep it that way too for the blonde only leapt back further into the room when he moved in.

"You are built to fight, Cloud," he said softly. The blonde was athletic and vicious, consumed with the same darkness that he was, and it was an addition to his life that was so wonderful. "Soon we can train and strengthen you up more."

"…"

"Oh? No words for me, little one?" Sephiroth smirked as he tilted his head to one side, baiting the blonde.

He chuckled when Cloud simply scowled at him before issuing a soft, "don't call me that." It was rare to get Cloud to speak at all, even if he knew the blonde had gained capability by simply listening to him talk.

"And what should I call you, for you are so little to me? So precious." Sephiroth swung his body around when Cloud launched at him again, this time teleporting in a flash of light to appear behind the growling blonde. He slapped the blunt side of his sword down on Cloud's head hard enough to bruise before pressing the blade against the blonde's pale and so vulnerable throat. "Still so little… yet precious."

He smirked when Cloud just snarled softly, but it was clear that any attacking was ceased for now. He was sure that he would be attacked at some random time and chewed on or clawed or otherwise mauled in some form or fashion. Cloud had a knack for feeding his enjoyment by showing that vicious bloodthirsty side that simply screamed a willingness to learn the ways of their people and a determination to survive no matter the circumstances.

Withdrawing his blade from the blonde's throat, he kicked Cloud forward with a booted foot, chuckling when Cloud only grunted. He cast the Masamune aside and stooped down, seizing the blonde's black wing and forcing it to extend. He received a hissing noise but not in anger for his actions.

The black demonic looking wing was stiff and still rather useless to the blonde. Several attempts to get Cloud to actually fly had ended badly, and aside from a few flaps, the appendage clung in a folded and curled position against Cloud's shoulder blade. He had seen Cloud get off the ground once in their attempts, but it had not been maintained for any length of time that would warrant any form of praising on his part. The lack of flight also seemed to frustrated Cloud who would silently glare at the appendage from time to time when he made flight look so easy and graceful.

Sephiroth set a hand on the middle of Cloud's back and forced the blonde to lie still on the floor. He straddled the blonde's back and massaged the muscles that attached to the wing, and while Cloud protested with growls, the blonde tolerated the treatment even if it was uncomfortable. He stretched the wing out, shifting it around to cause muscles to flex for a little massaging and use, meaning to strengthen the muscles of attachment and hopefully inspire the actual ability to fly instead of hover.

When Cloud tried to claw him, he knew that the blonde had had enough of that. He withdrew slowly, hauling the blonde up with him. He ignored the sharp glare in his direction, but again Cloud allowed him to investigate the malformed claws that the blonde all too often used as a weapon. It had been better formed than the wing had been, and he considered cutting a leather glove to allow the weapon to still remain in use while protecting the rest of Cloud's hand. Those claws could come in handy, he mused, especially as he eyed some of his blood that was drying on the deadly weapons.

A soft hissing noise indicated Cloud's loss in patience for his treatment, but his grip shifted up to clasp the blonde's wrist and to massage that area as well. The warmth of his blood still tingled down his side where Cloud had caught him, and the bunching of muscles along the blonde's shoulders indicated an impeding strike to him for continuing beyond Cloud's tolerance level. His grip on Cloud's wrist tightened to the point where the smaller male let a little noise of pain and surprise and abandoned the attack for pulling on the wrist in his iron grip.

Sephiroth watched Cloud's expression, noting the blonde was staring at him with plotting acidity, obviously wanting to hurt him but unable for the moment. A sudden slash of the blonde's clawed wing towards his face sent him into quick action, jerking Cloud upwards as he rolled back on his heels. He twisted the blonde's wrist until Cloud's arm bent to an awkward angle and there was a soft squeaking noise to indicate submission – or that was what he thought it meant.

He eased his grip and let the blonde go, rising to his feet slowly. Cloud attacked him with vicious intent, and he enjoyed every moment of it, wanting so badly to let Cloud out to play with other mortals to gain skills and needed experience. His hand whipped out as Cloud launched at him, catching the blonde in the temple and sending Cloud spinning away. He followed and slammed his fist into the smaller male's ribs, feeling the body under his hit jerk and shudder with the impact, but his other hand gripped onto Cloud's hair to keep the blonde from withdrawing.

His feathered wing arched from his shoulder and curled around Cloud's wing, effectively pinning the appendage to the blonde's shoulder to keep it from attacking. He saw the muscles bulge on Cloud's shoulders and jumped back when the clawed hand whipped out and narrowly missed in connecting. His feet settled on the floor before he leapt back to continue the battling, surprised when Cloud ran off in the opposite direction.

Following the blonde with his eyes, he watched as his little precious ran on the wall before launching toward him, using the wing to stabilize the attack. He allowed the clawed hand to move for a strike before he seized the blonde's wrist and twisted around, swinging the smaller male's weight easily over his shoulder before falling to one knee and slamming Cloud into the floor hard enough that the room shook. He heard the soft grunt from the blonde just before the popping noise that seemed to resonate around the room, the arm in his grip going limp.

The clawed arm disabled, Sephiroth moved back to allow Cloud to thrash on the floor… and thrash the blonde did. The little one's legs twisted and set into the floor, shoving and curling enough where Cloud could roll to knees, but the black demonic wing whipped around in an attempt to both inflict damage to him and swing the blonde's weight up enough to stand. The one good arm gripped at the cracked hardwood floorboards, but the strained muscles gave an indication of the pain that Cloud was trying to ignore to continue to fight.

Stubborn will would not allow Cloud to lay down and accept defeat, the darkness raging in every corner of the blonde's body. The determination to rise again always seemed to win out no matter the injury, and a dislocated arm seemed to be ignored as inconvenience rather than as a viable injury. Snapping and snarling, the blonde rose up to stand again, swaying dangerously from pain but up nonetheless. It was a feat that made Sephiroth proud no matter how many times he witnessed the blonde's strength, so like all of those in their race but… Cloud was much more spirited than the other fools.

Sephiroth walked over to Cloud with an air of dominance, shoving the blonde backwards when Cloud tried to bite him. It only took a moment and Cloud was in range again trying to inflict injury, but Sephiroth simply pulled a fist back and leveled Cloud to the floor with the punch as he did not hold back his strength this time. He smirked when the blonde dropped and hissed while rolling on the floor in pain and dripping blood from the broken nose and jaw. He had just ensured that hissing was about the only noise Cloud would make at him.

"So precious… yet so much you have to learn. I look forward to training you with a weapon and in the art of the darkness," Sephiroth said. He watched the writhing form trying to get back up again, but he set a foot firmly to Cloud's chest to hold the blonde down to simply drip blood all over the floor while glaring death at him. He simply smirked in a vaguely affectionate manner down at Cloud. "What sort of weapon shall I give to you, hmm?"

He received an angry vengeful glare and a groan of pain for a response. The blood from Cloud's nose bubbled as the blonde tried to breath, and it dripped long lines down Cloud's chin and neck, soaking into the collar of the shirt much too big for the smaller frame. It had not been the first time that the blonde had suffered for attacking him, but it would certainly not be the last either. They had much training to do with each other.

Sephiroth chuckled softly when Cloud's attempt to rise again failed when he pressed his foot harder onto the blonde's chest. The human hand grasped onto his pants, smearing blood on the leather perhaps as a sort of mock revenge. There was a distinct pulling to his trousers, and he became aware that Cloud was now trying to drag him to the floor since getting up was no longer an option. Such strength in those hands. "You have strength but lack a certain finesse to you, little one. I do believe I know of a weapon to suit you best, but we will have to wait until you are fully healed now won't we?"

He set all of his weight on the foot settled on Cloud's chest, feeling the blonde struggle to hold the weight now on already tender ribs from their last batch of harsh dueling. His other foot shifted and nudged the dislocated arm, and the distinct depression of Cloud's ribs was only accented by the harsh exhalation of air in the form of a soft whimpering snarl.

He removed his weight instantly and settled onto a crouch, reaching out and grasping the sides of the blonde's dark shirt. He tore it open without hesitation, setting projectile buttons sailing in all directions and ignored the darkening bruises on Cloud's heaving chest. Instead, he pulled the material from the blonde's torso and tore a strip from it, pressing that wad of material to Cloud's nose as his fingers set to the blonde's ailing jaw and nose, pushing both back into proper orientation with a soft grinding of bones and sinew rubbing before a popping noise indicated the resetting. Cloud only twitched under his grip and pierced him with those blue eyes.

Sitting back on his feet, he reached out and grabbed Cloud's deadened arm and twisted the joint around until it too slipped back into place. A hissing noise was all he received in the way of thanks even as Cloud jerked away from him. He simply dragged Cloud back by spiky blonde hair, propping the smaller male against his thigh as he used the rest of the shirt to make a sling for the injured arm and tied it behind Cloud's neck. He would have set Cloud's jaw, but he knew that it would be refused so he left it as it was.

Sephiroth ran his fingers through Cloud's hair, noting the slight perspiration. Eventually, his hand shifted back and massaged the back of the blonde's neck soothingly, receiving a harsh snarl that was actually washed away by a gentle bump from his chin to the top of Cloud's head where it settled and remained. Simply put, these moments were so rare and awkward in nature for the both of them that neither of them refused when one came about.

Eventually, Cloud would snap or snarl to indicate enough was enough. It was the blonde's way, almost never resorting to speech. No… his little one spoke more with those bright blue eyes that would stare at him or glare at him or even watch him suspiciously.

Gathering Cloud up against his chest, Sephiroth walked to the bed as a comfortable place to allow Cloud some time to recover. That and he no longer felt the need to be affectionately parental towards the blonde. He curled an arm under the blonde's backside so that Cloud could simply lean against him, and he felt a rounded chin settle on his shoulder and blonde strands of hair tickle his neck. He ignored it until he reached the bed, intent on simply dumping his charge down for some rest… that was, until he looked down at Cloud's face.

With eyes closed, it was difficult to tell that Cloud held any darkness at all. The blonde's features were relaxed, the lines of tension and anger drawing away a lot of age from Cloud's appearance, reminding him that his little precious was only weeks old and still relatively helpless. While in the body of man, Cloud was definitely far from being ready, still harboring the fledgling viciousness and inability to stay awake for entire days and nights as he could. Both features would melt away as Cloud aged, but for now, it appeared to Sephiroth that Cloud was still very much a child, an over-aged infant of sorts.

And the closeness and building trust between them was still coming. The fact that Cloud was already asleep on his shoulder indicated a gradual transition from the blonde hating everything to coming around to accept him as protector. He raised a hand and stroked the back of the blonde's head, leaning down and pressing his forehead to Cloud's temple, whispering of their conquests to come and all those lessons he still had to teach the blonde in the future.

Soon enough, Cloud would be quite the sight fighting and killing at his side, letting darkness reign. Until then, Cloud would have to sleep.

Sephiroth let his knees press to the bed and simply jerked his arms away from holding Cloud, watching as blue eyes snapped open as the blonde fell backwards. A treacherous leg swung up and slammed into injured side, but he let it pass as Cloud bounced on the bed with a hiss and a snort of remnant blood from the blonde's nose. He received a glare for his sudden release, but he was simply toughening the blonde up, nothing more.

He pushed Cloud down when the blonde threatened to rise to challenge him again, and he managed to bind a kicking and squirming adult male form in blankets, nearly getting a wing in the face. When the blonde was a mass of struggling blankets, he settled down behind Cloud and shushed the smaller male's struggles with a little petting and a slap to stop Cloud from trying to bite despite the broken jaw. He dragged his bundle closer and drew his knuckles up and down the blonde's spine, immediately placating Cloud into lying still next to him.

"We shall do great things, you and I. Soon enough, I will take you to explore Hollow Bastion and then… to other worlds. The Heartless hold nothing to us, little one," he whispered softly. Instead of the expected growl, he received a calculated look and then a small nod. He pressed his knuckles harder as they rose and fell, and there was a soft sigh and the blond settled in and went to sleep instead of listening to him ramble on.

Oh how he looked forward to that day! He had spent so long fighting alone, building his reputation as an undisputed swordsman, a legend in the eyes of men. What did men know though, he wondered. There was not a man alive on any world that he knew of to have reached the level of perfection that he had, at times surprising himself when he was a much younger creature of darkness… or insufficient light as his master once used to say. He never actually believed the old crank, too soft with methods of teaching and required punishment; that might have been the reason that Sephiroth had come to be as he was. He, like many of his race, needed a challenge, something to make them arrogant.

But… they were all dead now, save for he and now infantile Cloud. How they had perished not even he knew, but one rumor was that they had stared too far into space and decided to explore what should have wisely been left alone. Other rumors were that their arrogance consumed them into full darkness, taking their hearts and making them monsters whom could no more think for themselves than defend against others with half a brain and a quarter the skills. He did not believe the rumors, though, and he had neither the patience nor the want to know what had happened to his fellows. He felt that if they were all stupid enough to die, then so be it… he would rather be alone instead of surrounded by idiots.

Despite his disgruntled intolerance, he found a strange longing fulfilled with the coming of his little precious blonde. He had not realized there had been such a void in his level of skills until Cloud had dropped helpless and wailing into the world at his feet, a cursed but beautiful creature. His void became all the more clear the first time Cloud had awakened after birth; he had never thought that one so awkward would simply leap on his back, clawing with wing, feet and hands to get a grip before biting so hard onto his neck that he thought he might lose a large chunk of himself. It had been the first sign of just how much he would come to appreciate Cloud's company in time.

A shift from beside him drew him from his thoughts, and Sephiroth regarded the sleeping blonde quietly a moment. Cloud appeared to be drooling a little, the broken jaw fast mending but still making things difficult for proper sleep. He did not feel like being bitten, so he left the blonde to drool merrily upon the blanket while twitching in sleep… looking every part an innocent infant as an grown man could.

Perhaps someday he would take Cloud to their home. There was nothing left there of significance but deserted buildings, training grounds and various markets. All signs of life had long since disappeared, but it was still a place that Cloud could possibly understand being the only other surviving member of his race. Yes, he had so many plans for Cloud for surely the blonde would have to remain by him for years to come.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Heartless were truly curious creatures, Sephiroth thought. They were determined, uncaring, and suicidal, which were three traits that also made them very dangerous. Tending to come in packs of significant number, the heartless seemed to only relish in attacking anything that was no each other. Their ability to disappear and appear again to get the drop of an unsuspecting creature was interesting if rather annoying at the best of times.

As their names seemed to indicate along with the marks that united them, they did not have hearts like normal creatures, not exactly. They consumed hearts, even their own over a course in time. It seemed that the longer a creature remained a heartless, the less of a heart remained for the darkness to keep grips on and taint with impurity. The tainting of another creature's heart seemed to be of great significance, and it even went to show some signs of a group dynamic among the heartless. They would work together for the common goal of killing and releasing the heart of a creature of light, but the loss of their brethren meant nothing to those that remained. They still came in droves to die.

The heartless of Hollow Bastion were of no particularly good stock, not in the town anyway. The castle held tougher heartless, but they were not less better than the little ones that scuttled along looking for an easy meal of sorts. The town had long since been deserted thanks to Ansem's release of the heartless onto the unsuspecting populace. Some managed to get away, but the unlucky mass lost themselves and became heartless as well, simply feeding the already rather large army. It might have been different on other worlds, but Sephiroth wanted to start Cloud off on small heartless before moving up in the world of enemies to play with.

Sephiroth watched silently as Cloud regarded a heartless with complete curiosity. It was the first time that the blonde had seen anything that moved aside from himself and sometimes the drapes of the mansions they stayed in from the wind. The last heartless that Sephiroth had left had easily been pushed in Cloud's direction for investigation, and the little creature seemed just as curious of Cloud as Cloud was of it. The two were practically nose-to-nose staring at each other, which looked rather odd given that Cloud was a full-grown man and the heartless barely a foot tall.

He noted that, in curiosity, Cloud was right back to being nothing more than an infant realizing that the world was much larger beyond one room or house. Everything had to be investigated, unfortunately. Every house, every alley, every street, every pantry (which Cloud seemed to find especially fun to investigate with all those cans and food stuffs). While the need to see everything was beginning to grate on his patience, he allowed Cloud a day of unquestioning searching about. It would do him little good to hurry the blonde along when everything needed to be shown, even if it had to be at Cloud's dawdling pace.

A loud hissing noise made him roll his eyes, and it seemed the heartless had gotten enough nerve to realize that, while Cloud was a lot of darkness, that was not all the blonde was. Cloud seemed rather indignant that such a small creature would dare leave long scratch marks across the blonde's face. He chuckled coolly when Cloud was suddenly upon the little creature, growling and spitting angrily as claws went to work tearing the heartless to pieces.

When the glowing red heart rose up from the remnant black, Sephiroth walked over to Cloud and nagged the blonde with a foot, pointing up at the floating heart. He expected a hiss and a bite to his leg, but he instead managed to catch the complete look of wonderment overcome the blonde's features at the heart. "A heartless contains a heart within its darkness, and, when defeated, that heart is released to the skies."

He looked down to find Cloud giving him a questionable look. He tilted his head to the side expectantly, waiting for the question even if he knew Cloud did not wish to voice it. His eyes narrowed when Cloud simply tugged on his pant leg, trying to get the question across without having to use a voice for it. "No, ask it openly," he said sternly.

Cloud pouted at him, looking back up at the heart that had disappeared into the night sky. "Where does the heart go?"

Sephiroth also turned his gaze up to regard the skies, thinking a moment. He was actually not sure where they went, which was a curious notion since he prided himself on knowing everything. He tapped his fingers against his hip as he thought then looked down at Cloud who was staring at him in hopes that the answer would suddenly be written on his forehead. "An interesting question," he remarked, reaching down to pet Cloud's hair in praise. "I do believe that we shall have to find out on our journeys."

It seemed that the answer satisfied Cloud enough, and Sephiroth watched as the blonde went back to the puddle of left-over heartless. He quirked an eyebrow when a little bit of finger-painting was in order, shaking his head in exasperation before walking off a short distance to look for a new batch of heartless. It did not take that long for him to stroll about and find some, and he shifted backwards to draw them to Cloud.

That was no needed, it would seem. Cloud came running up to him as soon as the group of little spidery heartless skittered towards him. He turned his cool gaze to the blonde, who once more had that curious look about the blonde's features, but he reached out and slapped Cloud hard in the head. "You would get a better look if you were among them killing," he pointed out when he received a death-glare that probably would have killed a mortal. "Go, little one. The time of learning is upon you, along with the time to so just how superior you really are."

Sephiroth watched as Cloud fell to all fours and leapt at the incoming Heartless, hissing dangerously. He stood back and watched the blonde rush forward with that incredible speed, tearing the nearest heartless' head off with a single swipe of deadly claws. The wing settled on the blonde's shoulder sliced through another, and Sephiroth watched in a keen but no less pleased eye as Cloud slaughtered everything in sight, untamed and unstoppable.

It was the first time that he could gauge the sheer raw power of his precious creation. While it had been a long time since he had fought against another of his own race, he could clearly see that, even now, Cloud was a caliber that was above any other infant his age. Most would be fumbling about, thrashing and skittering with a bestial nature unbecoming of an adult, but, while Cloud has childish moments, it seemed that in the heat of real combat, the blonde was sound and deadly accurate. In fact, every attack hit, and it was clear that Cloud was getting bored with the ease in which the kills came about.

Soon enough, Sephiroth noted that Cloud's attention was turning towards him with that same keen deadly look within those blue eyes. Cloud's intentions became all too clear when he was suddenly being charged viciously, and Sephiroth simply waved a hand in the air, creating an invisible shield in front of him. He smirked when Cloud smacked hard into it and snapped angrily in his direction, but he simply waved his hand again and the shield wrapped around Cloud tightly, immobilizing his precious little one effectively.

Stepping over to Cloud, Sephiroth chuckled as he felt the heat of the blonde's gaze trying to cut him still. "Are you bored already of playing with the heartless, Cloud?" He received a quick nod and a glare for good measure. "And would you like to see your skills against another challenge?" He noted the snapping of jaws in his direction along with an eagerness to try and get at him. He was obviously spoiling Cloud already; he would really have to stop teasing his little addition. "…you may come after me later tonight so I can break that pretty face of yours… as usual."

Cloud's eyes flashed dangerously, wanting to have a chunk of him now if the blonde's kicking legs gave any indication of enthusiasm. His taunting was obviously getting Cloud angry with him now, and he reached out, stroking his hand down the blonde's blooded cheek and then down Cloud's neck where it came to rest. He felt the tension in Cloud's muscles under his hand, and, without hesitation, his hand shifted and gripped Cloud's throat roughly. "Such a killer, you are… you certainly possess a killer instinct, little one. I wish to see you locked in the glory of a true slaughter, not any of this pitiful waffling."

The stare of those blue eyes back at him spoke volumes of what Cloud thought of the meeting with the heartless. It caused his own gaze to soften and his hand to loosen, going back to stroking Cloud's face affectionately. He could tell the blonde only tolerated the touch for no better course to attack him presented itself just yet; Cloud was beginning a marvelous transition to waiting for opportunity around him.

"Soon, soon, I say to you, precious Cloud, that I will take you where you may see what a real kill feels like. The hunt, the chase, the capture and the kill… ohhhhh, you should feel it, Cloud." Sephiroth's eyes closed as he thought of his favourite kills, remembering exact details to each one. "The bunching of straining muscles, the grind of bones, the war waged for survival as flesh slowly loses itself to defeat and then… slackness. That is a kill."

He would have said more, but he felt a sudden flare of pain in his hand and looked down to find Cloud having used his distraction to bite his hand. He laughed maniacally, shaking his hand to and fro so Cloud's head was forced to follow, looking all too much like a pup grabbing a toy. He leaned his face close to the blonde's and smirked arrogantly before gently butting heads with Cloud. "So precious to me… do you know that you and I are the last?"

His question distracted Cloud enough to let go of his bleeding hand, his leather glove having been torn open. He used the opportunity to viciously backhand the blonde, releasing his spell at the same time so Cloud went flying backwards to skid along the ground. He teleported over, shoving Cloud over when the blonde tried to stand up, wincing slightly when he felt the claw on Cloud's wing slice into his thigh. He always underestimated the speed that Cloud possessed when thinking he had the advantage.

He retaliated with a savage kick to Cloud's midsection, a little smirk tugging at his features as the blonde rolled up and slipped away from the attack, only to latch onto his leg and refuse to let go. He tried to shake the blonde off to no avail, and he rolled his eyes when Cloud bite him hard, feeling the sting of sharp baby incisors grinding and chewing on his flesh. He reached down to grab Cloud by the hair but pulled his hand back when snapping jaws nearly injured him yet again, watching as the blonde went back to greedily licking his thigh wound and growling every time he moved or tried to shake the blonde off.

Finally, he simply pulled his fist back and slammed it into the top of Cloud's skull, feeling the shudder of the blonde's body as the weight of the impact loosened the smaller male's limbs immediately. He quirked an eyebrow when Cloud flopped backwards, noting the twin trails of blood coming from the blonde's nose. He leaned down and inspected, noting the awkward angle of Cloud's neck before sighing. "Enough lessons for today, I suppose…"

He reached down and hauled Cloud up, tucking the blonde's head against his shoulder, soothingly rubbing the smaller male's broken – but healing – neck. He began the long trek back to a hospitable place for his little one to rest up. Tomorrow would be another big day of exploring, but he would have to offer a chance. Perhaps a game would suit Cloud's fancy?

Sephiroth smirked at the thought and pet his unconscious blonde's head. "I will miss the days of you so young and moldable someday, Cloud. Perhaps even some day… you can defeat me." He would give Cloud the most potential for the feat, but he doubted it would ever be done. He was simply too perfect.

**XxXxXxXxXxX  
****Author's Comments:**

Cloud is such a vicious creature; I love him terribly. Actually, I haven't seen many people write Cloud in such a way, and I decided that he needed to have an edge that would eventually lead to what he actually acts like in Kingdom Hearts (which will eventually be explained, I promise). I wanted Cloud to be just as dark as Sephiroth, so I made Cloud a really vicious little sadist. His interaction with Sephiroth actually really amuses me to death.

I know he is really different, and I am interested to see how readers respond to him in this way. He sort of shows why he has so much skill in Kingdom Hearts, but he never shows it in his battles with Sora. I'm also taking in account of his fighting abilities and some of the information provided in Kingdom Hearts II. Nothing big just yet… Sephiroth and Cloud are still getting along (if that is what you call what they have now).


	3. Chapter 3: Infancy Part 2

**Killer Instinct – Chapter 3: Infancy Part 2**  
By Chibi Nataku 

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

The town of Hollow Bastion overlooked the massive castle in the distance, only of vague interest. While the castle appeared to have many places to hide and run around in, it seemed even from a distance that it was no where as near complicated in layout as the town itself. There were places in the town that held massive amounts of destruction, crates and walls toppled over so that rubble piled high and made for wonderful hiding places. Buildings were aplenty with windows and doors to skitter from and roofs to climb all over and alleys that sometimes lead to nowhere at all.

For Cloud, learning the ways of the city along with everything to do with living outside of a single house, it was a maze of mystery that he wished to explore. This world was vast, and he was being taught many lessons daily, some smaller than others depending on the severity of his healing injuries. The city provided a new landscape where he could simply wander off on his own and poke around at his own pace, sniffing out hiding spots and interesting pantries. He had even broken his share of beds by jumping up and down on them in a mockery of flight.

He usually found heartless roaming about when he first arrived, but the black playthings had grown boring long ago. He knew them for little more than items with often got in his way when all he wanted to do was explore, though he had admitted that he enjoyed watching the hearts go up into the sky. He usually did take some time out of his day to butcher a few heartless and try to grab the hearts as they flew to the sky above.

Sephiroth had told him only a few days prior that the hearts could not be caught, that they would simply drift until they found their ultimate end or another heartless managed to capture the object. Supposedly, only creatures who were possessed by the darkness could destroy a heartless to remove the heart, where as pure white-skins as he had named what Sephiroth called mortals could only chase the heartless around and subdue them, but there was a considerable trouble in releasing the hearts with mortals weapons. Sephiroth had mentioned something called a 'key blade', but he had hardly been listening then, thinking of the white-skins. He had never seen a white-skin, but Sephiroth had assured him that a time would come where his learning would expand out to different worlds where he could find white-skins. He could care less so long as he was entertained, and so far, only Sephiroth proved to be any form of excitement in his life.

Hopping down from a rooftop to the alley below, Cloud stabilized himself with his malformed wing. He settled down on the cobblestone walkway without any trouble, secretly hiding the fact that he was growing stronger with his wing. He did not wish for Sephiroth to know so that he could get the jump on the other man when he deemed the time most suited to getting what he wanted. So, he simply hid away his ability to at least hover by pretending his wing was still aching and stiff, unusable by Sephiroth's estimations.

His upper lip pulled up in a wicked grin, showing his sharp incisors. He trotted over to an open barrel which he had not seen before and peered inside of it. He blinked as someone stared back at him, blinking blue eyes and having a mess of blonde hair and what he thought was a vicious looking grin. He did not like the look of this one, and he slid a hand into the barrel and tried to slap the grin from the other person's face, blinking when his hand shattered the image by touching water.

Intrigued, he leaned further in and had to pull back when he blocked out most of the light. There, the image rippled and twisted in the waters, and he wondered how anyone could live under the water like that. He had only been able to hold his breath for a certain amount of time before needing to come up for air, yet another lesson Sephiroth had taught him after leaping on the older man and biting Sephiroth's arm for blood. He did not like that lesson, but he remembered it clearly.

Still, that image stared back at him, causing him to scowl which was returned immediately. This caused him to growl and glared, the look at least returned to him at the same time that he made it. He slapped the water in anger, only to look at his hand then down at the image that rippled in the barrel of water, thinking a moment to himself. He stared at the image of the blonde when it returned to normal, smirking then scratching his cheek before pulling his wing up from his shoulder aggressively, pausing when all those actions were repeated right back to him. He stared hard at the image a moment before splashing it again before he came to the conclusion that he appeared to be looking at himself in some form or another. It was only a logical conclusion, and, while he had seen few reflective devices, he had an idea from Sephiroth that he too had blue eyes and the blonde hair often hung into his eyes.

He stared at himself in the water, tilting his head to the side. He eventually reached up and touched his cheek, running his fingers over the smooth skin before his fingers stopped at his chin. He then lifted a hand and tried to pat his very spiky hair down, but the locks simply jumped back up to position once more.

Having studied the image of himself for so long, Cloud hardly noticed when he was no longer alone on the walkway. He paid little mind when the obvious scuff of boots against the cobblestone neared him, already recognizing the heavy shift of weight and knowing that sound of swishing hair against leather. He knew that Sephiroth had come to check on him, only made more clear when the other man's face appeared in the water next to his own.

He was able to see the rising hand that had intent to pet him, and he dodged it and pulled away from the barrel to turn to regard Sephiroth. The silver-haired man wore an amused arrogant expression, and it appeared to Cloud that Sephiroth was often times amused to find him studying something intently. He scowled even as he looked for an opening to get his daily digs in on Sephiroth, but the older man was well-guarded today.

"I see my precious Cloud has finally found what he looks like, hmm?" It was a leading question, and Cloud knew it. Sephiroth was always trying to get him to speak, but he refused most times for being disinterested in the act. "And what my little one think of how he looks? Surely by your inspections, you are intrigued with yourself. To a mortal, you hold a pleasing appearance to be certain, but what, pray tell, does Cloud think of Cloud?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed, and he tried to stab Sephiroth in the heart with his gaze. As much as he tried, he simply could not burn a hole in the older man's jacket and through thin tanned skin between firm ribs to where the muscle beat lifeblood through Sephiroth's body. He eventually gave up and kept his silence, but he glanced to the barrel of water. The chuckle from the older man indicated that Sephiroth had seen it and knew of his interest in the image that had stared back at him.

His upper lip curled dangerously in threat when Sephiroth's hand reached out, but the slowness and the fact that Sephiroth eased the appendage in his range indicated a different kind of plot. He had fallen for many, but he waited this time for he knew that other fist was waiting for him to move in, and then 'POW', he would be knocked over. He had gained much in the way of self-preservation in the last while, so he eyed the hand suspiciously, even as it came to gently rest against the back of his head. He felt Sephiroth's gloved fingers digging into his blonde hair to comfort his fears with a little massage, yet another tactic that encouraged him to use his voice.

He noted the expectant look, and it was one that Sephiroth gave when it was clear an answer would be given verbally whether he wanted to or not. He shuffled closer to the barrel and peered inside at his reflection, touching his face before nodding. "I look old," he said simply, remembering pictures of people with tiny humanlings.

Sephiroth gave a hearty chuckle, and he was surprised to be pulled close, feeling leather push up against his bare arm. He glanced up, noting he was in perfect range for an attack, but Sephiroth was watching him at the same time. "Mortals are born from the female of their race, hence their need to be small and squishy looking. It takes them long years to grow into an adult body, but even that does not last long. It is a terribly pointless process, time and energy consuming… it even questions the state of homeostasis."

Cloud nodded his head in slight understanding, having not yet seen a female to know any great differences in them from himself. Of course, that also did not explain how he came to be as an old version of the mortals, weak at first but gathering great strength very quickly to defend himself. He also had come to the conclusion that, because he and Sephiroth were the last, that Sephiroth must be something akin to his father since it was the older man that had brought him into the world. He never thought of Sephiroth in that way, and it was clear that Sephiroth had no want to be thought of in such a manner either. He had never openly question his origin as of yet, though.

"And… me?" He knew he had come from an egg, but he had no idea how he had come to be there in the first place. The fact he had spoken a second time without prompting seemed to both surprise and please Sephiroth as the petting to his hair increased. He noted that Sephiroth's attention was drifting as well, meaning it was almost time to level the older man with an attack. "Why did I not come from a female?"

He noted Sephiroth's suspicious look for speaking more in the past minute than he had in days. He gave no sign of his intentions aside from curiosity, and it seemed enough for Sephiroth. "You are far better suited to life than mere mortals, Cloud. Our race, being born of both darkness and magic, have no need for the loins of a woman for our entrance in the world, but instead… we are born from an egg in a process that is very difficult to perform. The spell more often than not fails, taking all the ingredients with it and even sometimes killing the caster."

Cloud looked at Sephiroth with complete confusion. He wanted to open his mouth and ask another question, but he hesitated about becoming too wordy. Sephiroth would come to expect him to talk more if he gave indication that he would on an interesting if troubling subject. Instead of speaking verbally, he spoke of his confusion with his blue eyes, his expression shifting to reflect and enhance the emotion in his eyes.

"We are not mortal, Cloud. Things within the worlds work differently for us." Sephiroth paused to consider something, but Cloud didn't know what that was. He was almost distracted by the arm that was clearly in his range, but he wanted to hear more before he attacked. "Time flows between worlds, sometimes very differently between each, but all are connected to the stream of magics from which you and I are born from. Darkness is similar, but it has less of a solid connection because darkness inhabits within the heart of a creature. For us, the roads of magic and darkness intersect and thus… we are born in eggs and require protectors to raise and tend us."

Cloud didn't think he could look anymore confused, and Sephiroth seemed to pick up on the fact that he was picking up very little of the information. He allowed himself to be pulled away from the barrel and water and directed around Hollow Bastion. "This place, before it fell, was a major connection in magic, a node if you will. Because of Ansem's meddling with the darkness, this place also became a node in that area as well." Sephiroth seemed to pause for his benefit, to let the information begin to sink in, and it finally was making some sense. "With a node of magic and darkness here, I was drawn and thus… you were born to me fragile and under my care."

He did not miss the hint of arrogance that seemed to stem from Sephiroth's achievement with creating him successfully. It also seemed to be apparent, despite Sephiroth not saying so, that the draw here had been more than a natural call of two nodes coming together. He silently came to understand that he was 'precious' to Sephiroth because the older man had been lonely and without anyone in the worlds to challenge the great skill which Sephiroth obviously possessed.

He remembered well enough the sound of an impatient voice calling to him when he had awakened to find himself curled in the egg. Muffled as it was and uncoordinated as he had been upon his hatching, he still noted how Sephiroth constantly doted on him, especially in the first few days where he had spent his time either sleeping or being fed. His first attack on the older man had left him bleeding and squirming upon the sheets, but Sephiroth had seemed so pleased and even had come in range to care for him as he recovered. Perhaps Sephiroth was simply baiting him back then?

Walking along next to Sephiroth, Cloud waited for boring silly heartless to appear to harass them or at least provide an inconvenience for their straight-line path. He glanced up at the older man, noting the calm silence between them, almost companionable in a sense. He knew better than that, especially as his mood began to darken considerably and vicious urges began to nag at him. They had endured an entire conversation where he had been healthy enough to attack but had not, and he felt as if he had given Sephiroth an edge over him.

He raised his shoulders and rolled them, noting how Sephiroth's hand in his hair paused just slightly. His innocent stretching of his muscles died off, and Sephiroth continued to walk him… or would have. He pivoted on one foot, feeling the bunching of muscles along his shoulders as Sephiroth's hand began to withdraw to strike him. He ducked his head to keep his hair from being grabbed and suddenly leapt at the older man, slashing with his claws and trying to get a grip on Sephiroth's body.

His slash was dodged, but he did manage to get a grip on the collar of Sephiroth's jacket. It was a dangerous game to come in the older man's range in such a manner, but Cloud dragged himself up and drew back his claws again. Sensing the retaliation, he planted his feet and flipped over the older man's head, keeping his hold enough so that he pressed himself up against Sephiroth's body. His clawed hand raked through black feathers until he felt the startled shudder from Sephiroth's frame as he sunk his grip into the flesh and clearly meant to disable the wing.

He thrashed as Sephiroth turned suddenly, keeping his grip on the wing as his legs flew out. He was forced to wrap his human arm around Sephiroth's throat to hang on, a quick decision move that cost him as his arm was suddenly in the older man's powerful grip. He knew the arm would have to be abandoned, so he twisted his claws into Sephiroth's wing, hissing loudly as he struck hard and bit down on Sephiroth's shoulder, doing his best to disable the attack that would render his other arm useless.

Cloud snarled and kicked hard at the back of Sephiroth's legs, meaning to drop the older man even as his claws dripped dark blood down the back of Sephiroth's jacket, one of the more grievous wounds he had ever inflicted. He could tell that Sephiroth was enjoying this attack, and he grunted when an elbow slammed into his ribs, nearly stunning him. He fought back before growling as his arm was pulled from Sephiroth's neck.

He knew what Sephiroth intended as soon as the appendage was left intact. Sephiroth meant to drag him where they would be face-to-face and then defeat him brutally and stand pleased over him. He fought the hold and pulled with all of his strength on the wounded wing in his grip, biting again and receiving a small chuckle for his efforts.

Then he was biting and holding air and nothing more. He yelped as he stumbled and nearly lost his footing, spinning around and facing Sephiroth now behind him from that blasted teleport spell. He bared his teeth, all of which were bloodstained along with his lips and chin, but he let the moment pass in order to raise his claws to his mouth in order to lap up some of the blood. He backed away a step when Sephiroth advanced, snarling loud enough that would give mortals pause, but Sephiroth was just amused by his noises.

"Look at you… drench in my blood, finally taking advantages and showing just how deadly you are. I knew you were special when I stared at those blue eyes of yours, and I nearly sought to keep one for myself. I admit… they look much better set in that pretty blooded face of yours. They shine like the skies that I remember of home." Sephiroth had spoken on and off of this mysterious home, but more often than not, words were meant to distract him for the advantage to shift. He did not let the words affect him and simply readied himself for another attack.

It wasn't needed as Sephiroth was suddenly in front of him, slapping him across the face even as he tried to duck. He stumbled back under the solid hit and shook his head, his upper lip curling in a snarl as he leapt to meet the next attack coming for him. Sephiroth was fast though, and he hated it when the older man slipped under his attack and ended up behind him. He tried to spin to face the older man, but there was a sudden iron grip on the back of his neck, pushing him downwards enough that his knees almost buckled.

That was what Sephiroth wanted though. The older man had somehow come to get a great enjoyment out of forcing him to physically submit instead of just rendering him useless for a few days. He locked his knees and clawed at the hand, tearing into the brown leather gloves that Sephiroth wore – the black outfit having been discarded because of how much damage it sustained thanks to him. He felt the warmth of flesh and clawed into it, but he let out a surprised noise as a foot slammed into the back of his knee, unlocking them and sending him down unceremoniously. That hand followed and forced his head to the cobblestones in a bowing position.

Cloud shifted his wing to attack the hand, but a swift shot to his exposed ribs wavered his attack. Sephiroth would pummel him into submission if he refused to admit his defeat. Weeks before, he would have fought until he was unconscious, but he had learned that submitting now meant that he would have a chance to attack again later. As humiliating as it was, it seemed to him that Sephiroth was trying to teach him an important lesson… and so he learned.

"Excellent, little one," Sephiroth praised into his ear when he had made it obvious that he would fight no more. "Your skills grow with every passing day, and soon, I will have to prepare a weapon that is suitable for you to use in our journeys together." He allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet again, noting that for injuries, he had definitely won that match. He rubbed his tender ribs anyway. "But…"

Glancing up at Sephiroth's face, Cloud could tell right away that the older man would never allow him to win so easily. He had defeated Sephiroth by wounds even if he submitted, but there was too much arrogance to let it end in such a manner. Plus, he was certain that Sephiroth had come to him long ago with a purpose in mind, and so it seemed that this purpose was coming into the open.

He blinked when the Masamune came to Sephiroth's hand. He had seen the weapon many times, usually as it was swinging to slice into him, but Sephiroth rarely brought the long weapon out for simply show and tell. He gave a questionable look, but he didn't back away when the flat of the sword was pressed against the side of his neck. Sephiroth had no reason to attack him with the Masamune, not when it was clear that the older man could rend him with hands alone if the need arose.

Sephiroth leaned in, and he could clearly see the enjoyment in the older man's aqua eyes. "You are getting better, and it makes me believe you will not be a helpless infant for so long." Cloud stiffened at the insult that he was helpless and still an infant, but he said nothing as it was clear Sephiroth was going to continue. "Close quarter fighting is what you are learning to do best, but it must not be. You must master all areas of the fight, to utilize your environment to suit your purpose for victory. If you cannot, you will be defeated eventually. You, Cloud, must learn to mold the environment for your needs while leaving your enemy with the disadvantage as much as possible."

Cloud nodded his understanding, even pulling up the collared blue shirt he was wearing to wipe his chin of blood. The shirt was too big for him, hanging from his shoulders and bagging around his chest and hips. He looked around the cobblestone streets to see if there were heartless about to practice this apparent lesson he was getting. He saw nothing and looked back at Sephiroth who was watching him with calculated intrigue.

"Run," Sephiroth said simply, pulling the Masamune back to rest the tip on the ground. Cloud quirked an eyebrow in question. "Run away, Cloud." Again, he simply stared, not understanding where this lesson began. "I will give you one minute to leave my presence, and then I will hunt you down. When I find you, I'm going to kill you."

Despite trying to temper his reaction, Cloud felt his eyes widen in surprise, uncertain of the deadly intention and sudden shift from praising him to threatening him. Sephiroth had never showed the intention of killing him until that moment, and he could tell by the murderous intent in the eyes watching him that Sephiroth was completely serious. He backed away, keeping his eyes on the sword which he was certain would be used in his demise and noted he was losing valuable time.

He turned on his heel and fled the area more out of caution than real thought that he would be killed, and he had expected some sort of laughter to show that this was just a game between them. He never received any, which pushed him into a fast sprint down the cobblestone roads, twisting and turning to find a hiding spot. It was futile though because he knew that Sephiroth could find him no matter where he ran, and that thought should have made him despair and doubt that Sephiroth had intended to keep him at all. Perhaps all the doting had been what Sephiroth needed to get back into the murderous grove he had been told about?

And it didn't help that he had never experienced a shift like this from Sephiroth. The older man had always been close to him, doting and taking care of him while whispering about their future conquests together. It made little sense to him that Sephiroth would sudden turn around and want to kill him, but then… perhaps the fact he had submitted without a fight had made that shift? It was all too confusing and difficult for him to understand. This had to be a test… right?

He was angry instead of despairing, looking around for a place to hide as he ran away. He eventually found a secluded house and darted inside, hissing as a few heartless appeared to hinder his escape. He left them chasing him and ran into a bedroom, pushing the door closed to keep them out and treading over to the window and pushing it open before bunkering down to wait and to think.

Cloud waited silently huddled in a corner where his back was not exposed, his eyes flicking back and forth to look for where Sephiroth might come from. In his crouch, he could spring up if needed and make for the window or door. He grumbled to himself as the waiting became long and painful, beginning to wonder if Sephiroth intended to find him at all or just drive him off to fend for himself. He had an instinctual knowledge that someday, Sephiroth would drive him away to learn the worlds on his own without care or help. Perhaps this was that time and he had fallen for it?

His thoughts on that subject were cut off as the door to the bedroom shattered into splinters and Sephiroth stood there looking around. Their eyes met for a split second before Cloud was up and running for the window, and Sephiroth was in the room giving chase to him. He leapt from the open window, wincing as he felt cool metal slash into the back of his thighs, but he was out and on the move immediately.

He once again sprinted away, hearing the sounds of Sephiroth confidently leaving the building to follow him. He knew for a fact that Sephiroth could simply teleport into his path and cut him down, but no, this was not the intent. Sephiroth was hunting him, a sporting kill. Again, he admitted confusion for the sudden shift from caretaker to hunter.

Cloud darted down an alleyway that was blocked at one end, skidding to a halt to turn around and keep going down the street. The form that blocked his escape was looking as smug as ever and advancing on him, and he was forced to run to the blockade of rubble and scramble up and over it. Instead of going to the streets though, he grabbed the edge of the rooftop and flipped himself up on it, darting away as he heard the air being cut before the place he had been standing a moment before had a sword deeply embedded in the frame.

And he ran some more, this time leaping from rooftop to rooftop and glancing behind him to find Sephiroth running after him with that same murderous intention. He reached close to the end of town and jumped down to the streets again, doubling around for more room to run. He found Sephiroth in front of him after a wrong turn, and he was forced to dart into a house, pushing over a table to block the door before running to another room. There were a few weapons lying about, but he had little to no knowledge on how to use them. If it came to a fight, Sephiroth would slaughter him.

Growling angrily, he ran to the window and grabbed the frame, pulling the window up. The frame ground and the window became stuck halfway up, but he missed a key sign that he was not alone. Frustrated with the window, he only noted the shift on the other side when it was too late to back away to safety again.

The Masamune came through the wood and drywall easily, appearing to his side of the building and impaling him through the gut. A little cry left his lips at the flare of pain, but he dragged himself off of the blade as a hand reached in to seize him, stumbling backwards and grasping his wound. He saw Sephiroth's face looming on the other side of the window, and hapharzardly, he kicked out and smashed his foot through the glass.

Soon enough, he found himself running out of the house and down the street, moving down a side alley to avoid heartless that appeared and moved in his direction. He leapt over a fence easily and trotted across the yard to a rooftop to get to, thinking that a better advantage point would due him good at this point. Pulling himself up, he walked up to the top of the building to look around, seeing no sign of Sephiroth at this point.

He pressed his hand harder against the wound on his side, trying to limit the bleeding as he looked to where he might go to find a hiding spot. He never got the chance as the roofing under his feet collapsed inwards, and he leapt up to avoid the hole, only to have a hand grab his ankle and rip him down through it. He managed to get a grip on the edge, struggling to pull himself back out, but Sephiroth was relentless and overpowered him.

Cloud dropped down to the floor with a groan, rolling away immediately to help him get back to his feet. He managed to rise before the Masamune slashed into the back of his legs, cutting muscles and tendons that allowed him to get to his feet. He collapsed in a heap, squirming and clawing at the ground even as a shadow fell over him and the glint from the outside showed where the deadly blade was.

Out of a loss and desperate to save himself, he grabbed a handful of dirt and dust on the floorboards and threw it into Sephiroth's face as he rolled away again. It was not that effective, but it made Sephiroth lose sight of him for a moment. He would not win, but he would take the older man down with him if he had to.

Dragging himself as Sephiroth wiped dust away, Cloud slashed at the back of the older man's legs. His claws caught, but he grunted when he was kicked with the other leg, rolling away and shaking his head as he tried to get himself to rise up. His injured legs refused his weight even as Sephiroth advanced on him, and he snapped and snarled angrily as he tried again to get to his feet. He was outmatched and outclassed completely.

He managed to get to his knees before Sephiroth was at him, and he grunted as he was backhanded with the hilt of the sword, sending him over. He felt blood from his mouth but ignored it as he grabbed and threw a loose floorboard at the older man, watching as it was simply cut in half. He growled and took his last stand, rolling up to his knees again and baring his claw and wing around as his last defenses.

Sephiroth was clearly not impressed and advanced on him faster, but Cloud flapped his wing and lifted himself off the ground. He noted Sephiroth pause at the feat, but used the distraction to his advantage and darted around the other side, coming to Sephiroth's back where he landed and began to claw and bite into savagely.

It didn't take Sephiroth long to simply teleport away from him, and he simply flapped his wing desperately to stay in the air given that his legs would no longer work. The act of flight was tiring though, and he could hardly avoid the Masamune as it slashed in his direction, catching him across the chest then doubling back to nick his cheek before finishing by impaling his left shoulder. He sailed backwards and slammed against the wall, his shoulder and wing pinned by the sword still in Sephiroth's hand.

He hissed and tried to claw at Sephiroth, who was clearly out of his range and smug about it. He snapped and thrashed against the wall, ignoring his injuries for a need to exact his revenge for his treatment. He finally grabbed the blade and cried out as he pulled himself forward on it, dragging himself closer to Sephiroth before trying to claw again. He missed and took the backhanded slap aimed at him with bearly a shift of his head, snapping his jaws as he dragged himself closer still.

He received another backhand for his efforts before a hand pressed against the wound trailing down his chest, feeling an explosion of fire around him. He grunted in pain and thrashed again, clawing at the arm that was in his range before another hand closed around his head. The grip tightened, and the look in Sephiroth's eyes told him that he was finished for few month journey he had began.

It was a painful blow to realize, and, before he could stop himself, a soft whimper left his blooded lips. He stared up at Sephiroth with his big blue eyes, and they began to water from pain and dust in the room. Hanging there, he must have looked like such a helpless fool, dangling like a puppet at Sephiroth's master hand that was about to crush his skull and end his life.

The whimper seemed to have startled the older man and the watery gaze leveled looked as though it had landed a hard blow upon Sephiroth. He felt the punch against his cheek, his head snapping back as he grunted and slid back along the blade still impaling his shoulder and wing. Another heavy-handed punch rocked him backwards again, and he felt the wall pushing against his back again.

Sephiroth was leaning over him though, and he could hear the older man sniffing him. A hand went to his hair and jerked his head up, forcing their gazes to meet. "Are you afraid, my precious? I don't yet smell your fear." He refused to answer and simply stared at Sephiroth, trying to once again burn a hole into the older man with his eyes. "Such fire in those eyes, such spirit… you refuse to admit your own defeat even as it stares you in the face, don't you?"

Cloud pulled his head back a little and spat blood and saliva on Sephiroth's face, snarling to show his blooded teeth again. He seemed to have amused the older man with his action, even as the fingers in his hair tightened.

Sephiroth studied him for a long moment, perhaps judging how to kill him for the most enjoyment. The older man's eyes drifted to his impaled wing. "And you are capable of actual flight now? That is a secret that you have kept from me, I see. It makes me wonder what other secrets hide in that little body of yours, what darkness could turn mortals to fear just by your presence…" There seemed to be a hint of pride there, but the look in Sephiroth's eyes squashed that thought immediately.

Yet, the look slowly softened when he tried to bite Sephiroth's face, and the hand in his hair loosened until it was massaging his scalp. He thrashed despite the softer treatment but had a surprised cry leave his lips when the Masamune was ripped from his shoulder. He fell to the floor in a heap and immediately rolled himself up to defend himself, only to find his shoulder slammed back against the wall and the wounds on his stomach and chest checked for an extent of damage. He growled and tried to bite, but he admitted his surprise when he suddenly had a finger in his mouth, thinking to just bite it off.

He didn't though, having caught Sephiroth's eye and knew that any violence right now would end his life. He placated for the moment for self-preservation purposes and could fight very little as his clothing was pulled from him to leave him bleeding and nude on the dusty floors. He had never been taught about dignity surrounding nudeness, so he sat shivering on the floorboards trying to keep warm and alive despite his wounds.

"Arrogance will kill you," Sephiroth said simply, nearly pulling him from the floor and giving him a little shake. He gave his attention only to keep Sephiroth from shaking him more. "Ego, arrogance, pride, too much self-confidence… it goes by many names but never let it cloud your judgement, my precious. You are a weak infant seeking a handle-hold in life, but know that there are many creatures out there that can and will kill you. Arrogance will blind you and make you reckless… this is your lesson for today."

Cloud stared hard at Sephiroth, trying to determine if the older man was crazy or not. He was still wearied from the hunt he had just endured, uncertain if he was still on the kill list, and he dared not question in case it had simply slipped the older man's mind for the moment. His duty was to survive to this mysterious adulthood of their race, and if it meant not being arrogant, he would surely keep his head on his shoulders and not in the sky.

He did wish to point out that Sephiroth generally showed more arrogance for the both of them combined, but he was certain that the fact that Sephiroth was his elder would be the immediate answer. Plus, he had spoken too much for the day already, and he was tired, hurting and wanting to bite Sephiroth's hand right about now. He managed a nip before he was backhanded backwards, flopping back on the floor stunned by the force of the blow; Sephiroth still wasn't holding back on him.

Along with the previous slaps and punches, he could feel his face swelling with dark bruises, but he still snarled when Sephiroth stood over him threateningly. In a matter of seconds, he went from lying on the dusty floor to pitched over Sephiroth's shoulder uselessly, barely able to even kick his own wounded legs. He wriggled to find a comfortable position on his wounds, but he received a few humiliating smacks to his backside for them.

Sephiroth wasn't playing nice today.

While Cloud didn't like that aspect, it was also a new challenge to work around to get his fill of wounding on the older man. He was useless and thrashing like the infant Sephiroth called him, and it was clear another lesson was in the works from his caretaker. _Wait for the opportune moment to strike. Hide actions until the last action where the greatest advantage could be gained._

Sephiroth's manners of teaching him came through loud and clear when he was forced to listen to them, and he finally settled down and waited to be taken somewhere to get his wounds tended to and his pride pieced back together. He eyed a few wounds that were quickly healing on Sephiroth's back, noting that if the blood dried as it was, it would mean for painful removal of the scratched up shirt that the older man was wearing.

He was not caring at all, but he recognized that in order for him to ever reach up to Sephiroth's level, he would have to practice all aspects of being a partner to the older man. It probably included wound tending, an act Sephiroth was diligent with for him. Perhaps another, more personal, lesson was being taught to him, one he never cared about before until looking at the oozing blood and rocks lodged into the wound. Sephiroth was the only thing in the world that cared for him, and he should return the favour to keep their slowly forming bond in order.

It was obviously a step towards being more than an infant. While it would take a long time for him to breech the barrier of age, he recognized the need to reach for becoming more than a helpless cling-on to Sephiroth's pant leg with a vicious nature that could get him into trouble. He would be more, he determined.

Cloud leaned down over the wound he had been inspecting, ignoring his own wounds that ached and pushed apart the ripped portions of shirt to investigate the claw mark in question. He flicked a rock from the wound, feeling Sephiroth stiffen under his need to investigate this newfound desire of his. He even felt the rise of Sephiroth's hand from the bunching of muscles along the older man's shoulders, but it was clear the attack was only poised.

He tugged the shirt further away from the wound so that it wouldn't settle and stick from the blood. Perhaps out of his own need or out of some ingrained instinct, he leaned his head down and licked the wound, hearing Sephiroth hiss softly. He lifted his head and spat out a few stones that had got caught in the wound from their hunting lesson before going back and licked clean the wound and staring at its severity. It was healing quickly, but the rocks would have made it painful as they would have been left behind while the flesh regenerated around them.

Sephiroth took his interest as something that Cloud didn't pretend to know about, but their course suddenly changed and they went into the nearest house rather than one further out of town. He was too busy picking pebbles out of the remaining claw marks to care, intent on his own business until he was unceremoniously dumped on a dusty bed. His wounds cried out, but he simply growled and tried to launch himself back at Sephiroth who had disturbed his previous activities.

He didn't make it far before he was caught and pinned to the bed, a quick end to any wrestling match they would have underwent. He squirmed a little before his own wounds made it apparent that he would be going nowhere unless Sephiroth warranted it so. He went quiet when he had finished evaluating the situation, and the weight on top of him eased as a reward.

Despite wanting to get himself back up, he found that he was having trouble thanks to his injured shoulder and legs. He wriggled on the bed in his attempts to get himself to rise, ignoring the rustle of clothing since he was certain it was just Sephiroth stripping down. He managed to nearly get up once but all other attempts failed, which left him grumpily lying on the bed in forced complacency.

It wasn't long before Sephiroth settled next to him and began the long drawn out process of tending his wounds, the bed sheets quickly becoming make-shift bandages before a healing spell was applied. He could at least move by the end of it, and he was much happier with that fact as he sat bandaged up on the edge of bed as Sephiroth finished with his wing. He inspected the appendage before pulling it tight to his shoulder and locking it in there so that it would not come to anymore harm over the course of the rest of the day.

Sephiroth sat next to him as he examined his claws. There was a strange silence between them, which caused him to glance over to the older man who said nothing and just watched him. He shifted in slight discomfort, uncertain of what it was that Sephiroth wanted, but his gaze eventually flicked to the various wounds that were still open to the air and dirty from fighting.

He slid backwards and moved in behind Sephiroth, testing the older man's reaction to him being there. He received little more than a glance, and he took that as a good sign as he moved in and pushed long silver hair over Sephiroth's shoulder and stared at the older man's exposed back. It would be simple to attack and tear open untouched flesh, but he instead shifted to the bite mark on Sephiroth's shoulder, investigating.

Unwilling to use conventional means, he simply leaned down and licked at the wound, cleaning it of blood and dirt to expose the wound. He fingered it a little to test for any severe damage before he went about tearing the bed sheet up to make a bandage as Sephiroth had done, tying the cloth around the wound before he shifted his attention to the mangled feathered wing. He leaned in to inspect then again attempted to lap at the wounds to clean them, but he managed to get more than a few feathers in his mouth, spiting them out impatiently. He went back to his work immediately, pushing aside feathers to expose claw marks and cleaning them up as best as was possible.

He came away with a black feather hanging from his mouth and grinned with bloody teeth and lips, looking everything like a predator. Sephiroth chuckled and pet his head before offering up the few other wounds that were present, and Cloud went about licking and then bandaging them. Sephiroth's wing was the only wound left unbound, the feathers in need of a good preening and resetting in order.

Cloud sat back and thought of leaping onto the older man's back for a little wrestling. He deemed that clawing would get him more injured, but sitting about would bore him considerably. He wriggled to get his feet under him subtly and launched, only to be caught midair and dropped into Sephiroth's lap where he squirmed for freedom. He never managed to get it back as a blanket quickly became entangled around him, one of Sephiroth's only methods of non-violent submission tactics.

He gave up when it became clear he was not getting out of the tangle of blanket and glared up at Sephiroth who has began to play with his spikes of blonde. He tried to bite out of habit and he surprisingly only received a finger to his cheek instead of a slap. It was probably because his face was a distinct purple colouration on one side.

"Shall we explore other worlds soon, Cloud? There are many stars in the sky that could be ours, and there is so much to teach you on them." Sephiroth looked down at him, but he was more interested in the finger playing in his spikes. "You are getting older too, I see. I think I will miss your days of youth more than you shall… these last months have been wonderful." He met Sephiroth's gaze evenly. "Do stay my infant a little longer, won't you?"

Cloud simply stared unblinking at the request. He finally bared his teeth and tried to bite at the hand in his hair and Sephiroth chuckled for him and continued to pet him long into the night. He eventually settled in thanks more to being trapped in a blanket than because he felt tired. He noted that it was the first night in a long time that Sephiroth also dozed, an act that was always surprising when it came about because of its rarity. He probably would have tried to take advantage of the situation had the older man not half-lay on top of him to keep him pinned in the blanket and thus unable to act on his urges.

He growled at this misfortune, but he eventually gave up on trying and simply settled in for the night. He was certain that they would have plenty to do tomorrow, and he still had many wounds to heal up, even if his regeneration abilities were advancing to be near the same speed that Sephiroth's were. Soon enough, he too would be able to sleep a night and be perfectly fine in the morning, but for now, he was forced to take a few days to recover his normal physical state.

Resting silently, he could see the looming castle out the window, tall roofs and gray stone walls. The town was becoming boring, and he wanted to explore that place soon enough. "We go to the castle soon," he murmured softly with a slight nod. An arm curled more tightly around his waist in response to his words, and he was given the distinct feeling that Sephiroth was pleased even in sleep.

So, they really were going to the castle then.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

**Author's Notes:**

Oh my god, this chapter wouldn't end. I had a lot of trouble with it, actually, and there are parts that I'm not all that happy with. For one, I couldn't get it to end and even how I ended it wasn't so pleasing. I was actually going to continue it for another adventure of those two, but it would have turned into them beating on each other. While exciting, it can get rather boring to read and write over and over again. So, I ended it here.

For anyone that read Darkness Rising, the manner in which I'm writing has changed. I haven't pursued using the point of view where I switch between character POVs in the fic. This one, I'm just using one POV for a chapter, and I'm honestly not sure that I like it. My old style had a certain something to it. What do other people think? This way or the old way is better, worse or the same?


	4. Chapter 4: Childhood Part 1

**Killer Instinct – Chapter 4: Childhood Part 1**

By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money (usually with doujinshi).

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Viciousness had gradually turned into something much more difficult to maneuver around in a day-to-day situation. Cloud had slowly lost some of the ruthless intentions to maim him at every opportunity, especially as he began to direct his little precious towards a more constructive use of violent energy. It had taken a lot of time – two years in fact – to get Cloud to sit about for any period of time to learn basic skills that would hardly come into play for battle.

There had been much frustration and more than a fair share of backhanding and pinning to make Cloud behave in a manner that he wanted from time to time. It was enough that the blonde had finally taken an interest in more than biting his leg and now actually was quicker to settle in than he was. He found it odd to be teaching such simple skills, but he knew more than anyone how useful they could be when travelling between worlds and figuring out the weak points and histories of people and their planets.

"Use your right hand, Cloud," Sephiroth said for the twelfth time that morning. He had trouble hiding the annoyed exasperation in his voice as the blonde stubbornly continued to try to force the malformed clawed hand into holding the pencil properly. "Cloud… the other hand will work better."

Cloud simply snarled at him even as he continued to try and voice the issue about what handed the blonde would be for writing. It was obvious to them both that Cloud was frustrated with the lack of progress with the left hand and more than a few pencils had lost themselves in the blonde's fits of aggravation. It was painful to watch Cloud maneuvering the pencil about, and he stayed away for the most part as the last time had ended with him digging pencil shards from his own leg and Cloud bound and pouting from a spanking.

Sephiroth finally stood when Cloud snapped a pencil into halves, walking over to pull another one from the box he had found and handed it to Cloud. He slid into place behind the blonde and grasped Cloud's right hand, forcing the pencil there and arranging the blonde's fingers as was required for writing. He was nearly bitten for his intrusion, but he simply elbowed Cloud in the back of the head and held down the clawed hand right after.

"Now then, write," he ordered. Cloud refused to even try, and the blonde even threatened to throw the pencil away. "Write with your right hand, my precious little one."

"No," came the reply in a stubborn aggravated voice. It appeared that Cloud was going to be childish today.

Sephiroth refused the blonde when Cloud tried to put the pencil into the pinned demonic-like hand, and he gave Cloud a hard slap upside the head when the blonde fought him on the issue. He knew what this was about, and, while it was ranging in the area of cute, it was more than a little annoying to deal with every day. "Cloud, stop this foolishness right now. Your right hand is much better suited for fine movements required for writing. At least give it a try before I slam your face into the table, won't you?"

He heard the snarling noise of warning back at him, but he was still able to easily overpower the blonde whenever he needed to. He pushed his chest up against Cloud's back and pushed harder on the malformed hand as indication that he would not let Cloud up or go until the blonde at least tried to do a little writing with the supposedly off-hand. He met with resistance the entire way, but he was just as persistent to make Cloud write as Cloud was to resist doing so.

Eventually, they succeeded only in making a mess of the paper and nothing more. He growled and slapped Cloud upside the head as he pulled back, resisting the urge to slam the blonde's head into the table as he had threatened. It would not be worth his efforts, and it would only hinder progress in the days to come as well.

The only reason that Cloud refused the right hand was because he was a left-handed individual. He held his sword in his left, wrote with his left, lead in fighting with the left side, and even eat food with his left hand. In the progression from infancy to childhood, Cloud had learned to mimic his movements perfectly in the process of gaining experience with different aspects of life. For him to urge Cloud to suddenly do something completely different, it was not taken well as Cloud obviously did not understand where realism started and mimicry stopped. Cloud simply knew that imitation received the most progress, but in this case, it was severely hindering Cloud from doing more than frustrate them both.

Sephiroth backed off, though. Over the last couple of years, he knew that Cloud needed time to see that he was right. If he frustrated Cloud too much, the blonde would simply snap and start viciously attacking him and not let up until one of them was badly damaged… usually Cloud. The writing exercise would need to be stopped, and with it, progress in all other aspects of their life as well since everything hinged on Cloud learning simple acts of hand-eye coordination before moving up the larger ones… like wielding a sword and casting magic.

As it was, he simply walked away to seat himself in the comfy chair that was reserved for his backside alone. He watched at Cloud crumpled up the paper used for writing in a childish display of obstinance and glare at him as if the lack of progress in writing was all his fault.

He supposed that, in an off-hand way, it was. When Cloud was simply trapped in the egg, he had failed to keep the stains of darkness from interacting and creating the malformed clawed hand. If he had been more diligent back then, Cloud would probably already be writing long sentences and forming up spells. He was never one to feel guilt or regret, he admitted the briefest of twinges of a near mournful emotion in that regard… but it did not last long at all.

Cloud was still frustrated, and it was clear that something or someone would have to be a target to unleash all the emotion on. He knew he was the closest thing, but he also knew that Cloud would refrain, mostly because the blonde had taken up night ambushes on him and hardly attacked him outright unless pushed to. No, his little precious had developed a cunning mysterious manner of motivation, and he had been taken by surprise a few times.

It was all terribly exciting when it happened.

He eventually left Cloud to go about his other business, which entailed practicing his own fighting skills. With his little precious old enough to wander without need for help, he had returned to vigorously training himself back up to the level that he had been before Cloud's hatching. He did have a reputation to keep up as a master swordsman, and he would not let a wailing full-grown child take away from the things that he enjoyed for too long.

Yet, Hollow Bastion was lacking in luster now. The castle had been explored and games of hide 'n butcher with Cloud were growing boring. He felt the call of space, of the other planets, but he had not yet answered them for Cloud was still much too young to travel about. He wanted to bide his time and teach Cloud to fight with a blade before moving on.

Cloud was restless though. Heartless, even the largest ones or the greatest hordes, were not match for Cloud even at the disadvantage with reach against some. The blonde was terribly vicious against the heartless, but it seemed that even watching hearts float up into the sky had lost a considerable entertainment value. He was not pleased to have Cloud bored either, as it did not promote good learning, and more often than not, the blonde was not interested in sitting for long periods of time to history, magical tomes, and all manners of speeches.

Again, Cloud showed true age in those moments. Sometimes Sephiroth forgot that Cloud was a child, and children needed exhilaration and fun to keep them learning and working hard. Hollow Bastion no longer had any of these, and it was drawing on both of their patience. Good food was also a difficult subject as well, and his precious needed nourishment.

He had thought a few times of taking Cloud from Hollow Bastion. More than a few nights had been spent trailing his fingers down the gentle curve of Cloud's back while pondering what it was he should do. Was Cloud actually ready to leave the place of the blonde's hatching? Could he honestly keep Cloud in conditions that were growing less suitable for a growing child?

He worried… no, that wasn't right. The Great Sephiroth did _not_ worry. He was much too organized and prepared for all situations to worry about such trivial matters. There was no stress involved in Cloud's raising that would cause a manifestation of worry in him! It was a preposterous notion to even conceive of! He had everything under control, and it was a simple matter of deciding his course and nothing more!

Slamming his foot a little harder than he had intended as he took a step to level his blade again, Sephiroth stopped and heaved a heavy sigh. For all his denials – and they were good ones as far as he was concerned – he knew that things were not as they seemed.

He worried, and he hated every moment of it. With Cloud relying on him for provisions, he had to make the best decisions to make sure that his blonde was safe, happy, and nourished. Somehow, he had overlooked the detail that he would become paternalized by Cloud, that he would somehow develop paternal instincts that would involve himself becoming much less selfish than he was used to. Cloud's hatching had created a responsibility that took up most of his time, which left him almost proudly watching over his precious. It almost made him sick how cliché he was now that Cloud was around, the emotions of a parent tickling at his senses at all times no matter how much he stubbornly refused to acknowledge them.

Cloud was the last born member of his race, and he was quickly convincing himself that he would not have been so annoyingly overprotective of the blonde had there been other members running about. It was simply that Cloud was the last, his only partner on a racial level. He also knew that Cloud would be his own attempt at rebuilding their race, the spark of instinctual need to create another being having gone out as soon as Cloud had hatched.

Sighing heavily, Sephiroth continued with his practicing and allowed his mind to wander over the many issues that were clogging up his mind. He ached to be able to slaughter again, he realized. The years, while having been kind to him and Cloud, had been wholly unlike anything he had done before since he was Cloud's age. He was getting twitchy, and that was very bad.

He wanted to feel the warm crimson spattering against his skin, trickling lines down the curves of his muscles and drenching him completely. Simply thinking about his beloved Masamune cutting through armour and flesh and bone sent a shiver of want through his entire frame, and it made him realize that… yes, it had been too long. The screams of the terrified or the dying would be music to his ears, and he would dance to it, cutting down more people to add to the growing crescendo of death music that he had woven together. A lazy cut here, a slash there, a pointed stab precisely placed… it would all be followed by the colourful splash of velvet crimson across himself, the floor, the walls and his victim.

Sephiroth forced himself to stop thinking of such things, having to slow his breathing down to calmness again. It had been a long time, indeed, if a reaction like that overtook him at mere thoughts and images of his kills. He closed his eyes after a moment to keep himself from giving into the wants and desires and leaving Cloud alone for a few hours to let himself loose. Cloud's needs came first, and he could wait. He was a patient man.

His eyes snapped open at the sound of a bush rustling nearby, turning his head in time to watch Cloud burst out and stomp on a large insect. There was a distinct crunching noise as carapace shattered until the blonde's weight before pinkish ivory viscous liquid squirted to all sides of Cloud's shoes, obviously emulsified insectoid internal organs. Cloud stomped around a little more on the very dead body and then lifted the respective shoe to peer at the damage before looking over at him wolfishly.

It was a pity that Cloud was still so young.

He sheathed the Masamune at his side and walked over to Cloud who was looking around for another insect victim for some fun. Before Cloud could scamper off, Sephiroth caught the blonde up and pulled Cloud in to check old injuries. He smirked when Cloud squirmed under his scrutiny, not liking this one bit, and he simply made sure all was well before releasing his precious again to cause havoc in the world of Hollow Bastion.

He turned away to mind his own business, but he stopped when Cloud fell into step behind him. He was not used to being trailed anymore, not since Cloud was an infant and was forced to follow him… usually doing so to bite him. He looked over his shoulder to find the blonde staring at him as if this procedure was not like anything Cloud had done before.

"Run along and have some fun," he finally said. "I will call you for the evening meal."

"Bugs are boring," were the words that Cloud muttered at him. He watched to see that Cloud wanted to say more but, as usual, was hesitant to do so. "When can we kill something fun?"

Sephiroth couldn't help the little smirk that appeared on his lips, and he turned fully to regard Cloud. He reminded himself that Cloud was not ready, was too young, was not experienced… but the enthusiasm that appeared on that innocent face was nearly too much. "Soon," he replied.

"When," Cloud pressed. His little one was actually getting better at digging for answers instead of just leaving things unsaid.

"When you can write full sentences for me, then I will take you somewhere to kill something fun," Sephiroth said, nodding his head slightly to put a better confirmation so that Cloud might actually believe him instead of just staring at him suspiciously. Cloud stared at him suspiciously anyway. "When you can prove to me that you can write," he repeated patiently.

Cloud stared at him awhile longer, probably looking at his simple words for some undertone of deception. He had trained Cloud early to look for loop-holes, but it seemed that the blonde fell for words much more often than actually seeing through them to true intent. Cloud was obviously not made for verbal manipulation.

"Promise?" Cloud was eyeing him still even as the word left the blonde's lips.

Sephiroth sighed heavily. "I promise."

He watched as his face was filled up with the blonde's human hand, the smallest finger waving in his face. "Pinky-swear?"

"Pinky… where in the hell did you learn that gesture from, Cloud," Sephiroth asked, truly aghast with such a thing. Cloud was supposed to be getting older, not younger! It was an insult to his training to hear such weak words falling from the blonde's lips.

He reached out and grabbed Cloud by the wing, jerking the appendage hard to force submission, seizing up the blonde's clawed hand soon after. He let Cloud struggle against him, kicking and hissing, and then he forced Cloud to the ground. "You are never to say such a thing ever again. Where did you learn such a thing?"

Cloud continued to squirm in his hold, but he made sure that there was no escape. Eventually, Cloud did completely submit when he began to threaten to cause serious injury. "…pictures! A house with pictures says it!"

Sephiroth eased his grip slowly, dragging Cloud back up to stand again. This is what happened when he let Cloud explore the city too much alone, but it also pleased him slightly. It showed that Cloud could read even a child's writing, and that the blonde willingly went out in search of material to read during explorations. He only wished that Cloud chose to read something of actual value instead of as an annoyance to him. Still, he let the moment pass and released his hold.

"Run along and play, Cloud," Sephiroth said before turning himself away. He was obviously displeased as he walked away, a hand on the hilt of his blade a key sign that playful attacks would end with Cloud spilling some blood for punishment.

He heard Cloud leave by the gentle scuff of sneakers against the cobblestone, and it was clear that Cloud did such an action so show the retreat. It did not completely please him, but it eased his mood to know that the blonde was responding to his greater authority with some respect now. Cloud was sure to be obedient when the opportunity was best suited to Cloud getting something, in this case, the deflation of his ire.

Still, he paused when Cloud disappeared back into the trees. He had set his time limit of waiting for the kill again; he would wait until Cloud proved an ability to use tools and finesse like writing. If Cloud could show no ability, then he would have to wait until the blonde grew older, which could be months or years. He actually wasn't certain if he could hold out for a year or more.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Sephiroth returned late to the small mansion that he had made a proper home for himself and Cloud. While he had no intended to stay out so long passed the evening mealtime, he had been unable to drag himself back any earlier. It was the first time he had not come back to make a meal to feed Cloud, and he knew that it had been a bad thing to do. Nonetheless, he felt no regret.

He almost considered the emotion of regret more closely when he actually entered the same room with Cloud. He still did not feel it.

There were foodstuffs everywhere. Whole cans of soup had been torn open and splashed around the room, cans so mangled that it was difficult to decipher the original tag stating what it had once been. Other cans had been thrown around the room, one halfway embedded in the wall while others had obviously been used to create the massive dents in the walls before being abandoned. Packages of dried items such as pasta had been scattered across the floor, large portions of the raw goods soaking in remnant soup and now soggy. Some cans of beans and tomatoes had been torn open, leaving red spatters all over the wall, though some of it he was convinced was not tomatoes at all.

This was no temper tantrum either. This was a desperate need to be fed and having no idea how to get food from a package into a form that Cloud was used to. Torn open cans of soup had been abandoned because they were not warm or mixed with vegetables. Pasta was hard and tasted awful uncooked, leaving that abandoned too. Cloud was never fond of canned beans of any sort, so upon seeing what was inside, they had been tossed aside.

Cloud was no more fed now as when the food raid had started it appeared either. His gaze swept around the mangled room before falling on the blonde who was covered in more food than having eaten much of it. Somehow, Cloud had found a package of bacon that had been in the fridge and torn that open and eaten about half before throwing-up the food all over again.

And the blonde looked truly miserable, hungry and lonely. He was given a look that could melt the hearts of the most battle-hardened men of the mortal world, big blue eyes staring at him passed sopping blonde hair. He remained mostly unaffected to the stare, and when he made no move to comfort, Cloud simply got up and slinked from the room as if he were still angry with the blonde – or perhaps angry again.

Sephiroth sighed heavily and rubbed his temples with his fingers, reminding himself that this was actually his fault for once. He had left Cloud to fend against cans and uneatable food, and he had unwisely come back hours after he normally fed the blonde. It was closer to Cloud's bedtime than feeding time now, and he hated the feeling that he had somehow slighted Cloud with his moment of selfishness.

Perhaps it was simply that he had taken the wrong time to abandon Cloud. He could easily find time to himself during the day, but the evenings were usually spent in quiet time with Cloud. Hell, he sometimes told the blonde stories of his earlier days if Cloud actually asked for them.

Sighing heavily, he walked around the room to assess the damage. He had no want to clean up the mess that seemed to trail to the dining area where some cans had rolled, but the main portion was that the kitchen and pantry had exploded. It would take hours to clean properly and even then, the walls were damaged from the can beatings.

He walked out of the room and flicked his wrist back towards it, summoning up a pillar of magical fire to take care of the mess along with the rooms themselves. The heat urged him on as he walked through the house to the bedroom that he had assigned to Cloud, peering in to get the blonde so they could find a new place to stay.

Cloud wasn't to be found.

His eyebrows drew together before he left the room and walked down to his own bedroom, not finding Cloud there either. He went on to check to living room, bathroom and the upstairs with even less sign of Cloud, which made him think the blonde had simply gone out a window – or through one. He double-checked the rooms of the now burning house before he paused to consider a moment.

Cloud never went out at night without him. The heartless all appeared when the shadows became too deep and wandered the city for anything worthwhile to destroy. Given it was the dead of night, the heartless would be out by now. Unless Cloud went against his order or fled from him, the blonde should have still been in the house somewhere. The problem was that he had checked all the rooms, and now he had to wonder if his abandonment of a few hours had been taken as a sign for Cloud to move on.

Sephiroth couldn't decide what he thought of that idea, except that he continually repeated that Cloud was still too young for that. He tapped his fingers against his biceps as he mentally tallied all the places that he had checked in the house, and verified that there had been no room – not even a closet – that he had not checked for his precious. So… where was Cloud then?

Instead of checking all around the house, he simply closed his eyes and concentrated. He resonated his power outwards, searching for a life force similar to his own that would bounce back and alert him to location up to a certain distance. He refused to feel any sort of relief when his searches turned up Cloud's aura in the blonde's bedroom, which was strange since he had already searched there most of all.

Still, he walked back to the room and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him as the smoke was starting to get a bit thick in the halls now. He looked around, unable to determine where Cloud was hiding if not the closet or roof or behind a door. He resonated his power out again, his eyes turning down the bed which in no way had bunched blankets that would indicate a huddled body under them. In fact, one of the blankets had actually gone missing it would seem.

He walked over to the bed and bent down, peering under it into the small space that he had once been convinced could not house a full grown adult body. He was wrong, very wrong.

Cloud had somehow crawled under the bed, whether by lifting it first or just plain dragging, he couldn't tell. The latticework of wire that held the springs in place had been bent and distorted upwards, showing a struggle. The blonde had managed to take up the most uncomfortable spot closest to the wall with the dark gray blanket clutched tightly and a distinctive black wing resting against the carpet. It looked uncomfortable, quite possibly because he could see the bed frame jamming hard down on Cloud's arm and bruises already forming.

Sephiroth slid down to sitting on his knees so he could better peer under the bed. He could tell that Cloud knew he was there based on the straining musculature along the blonde's shoulders and back. Even the wing pulled in from resting against the floor to clinging to Cloud's shoulder like a black shadow.

"Cloud, come out from under there," Sephiroth said quietly, patting the floor next to him to encourage Cloud out. "We have to leave here to find a new place to live as the kitchen is no longer suitable for us." He attempted to place no blame for the condition of the kitchen, but Cloud obviously took the reason for leaving as purely the blonde's fault.

Somehow, Cloud managed to wedge closer to the wall. Sephiroth could only shake his head and reached under the bed to feel if there was an aspect of Cloud he can get a good hold of to pull out. He managed to grasp at air and nothing more. "Cloud, you need to come out of there before this place burns to the ground. I refuse to leave you behind here."

He received no response and even little movement towards himself. He glanced to the door, noting that smoke was starting to drift in, and it was also starting to get a little warmer in the house than normal. He did not wish to have to douse the flames simply because Cloud had decided that avoiding him was a good idea.

Sephiroth sat back and gripped the side of the bed and simply tossed the object aside to nearly knock a hole through the nearby wall. He slid forward and had to leap on top of Cloud as the blonde was scrambling up to flee away again. He managed to gain a good grip on the blonde and took Cloud back to the ground, struggling and eventually overpowering the smaller body.

Cloud was hissing and growling and kicking like a child, squirming in his hold and refusing to cooperate in the least. He still managed to keep a good grip, but he eventually had to start bending one of Cloud's arms awkwardly in an attempt to make the blonde submit to him so that he could safely take Cloud out of the burning house. He finally received the distinctive sound of a shoulder sliding out of joint, and the blonde settled only long enough to hiss and buck under his pin, refusing to give in.

Now this was a temper tantrum. Cloud had few of them now a days, but when the blonde wanted one, it was fierce. Sephiroth ended up fighting and rolling around on the floor trying to tire the blonde out, but he knew that he had a time limit in that fire was crackling at the door. Cloud simply spit at him and kicked savagely. He slammed Cloud's head into the floor several times before the blonde escaped and proceeded to spit and hiss blood from a split lip at him, rapidly forming bruises doing little to stop the attempts to bite him.

Standing to his feet and watching as Cloud rolled about in a manner that was clearly setting up an attack if he came in, Sephiroth finally gave up. The house was burning around them, and he was out of time to get Cloud to come along quietly. This temper tantrum would continue for as long as Cloud could move for. He couldn't risk the floor burning out and Cloud falling to death there, so he took a different route.

Calling up dark magic around his hand, he completed an intricate set of movements with his hand, energy gathering around his arm before zeroing in on Cloud's location. The dark energy gathered in the form of a halo above Cloud's head, the blonde still in mid-tantrum to even notice. The powers collected and slammed into Cloud's body, draining it over energy and life, and all that was left over was a shivering nearly unconscious Cloud left behind. "You should not have made me do that to you…"

Sephiroth was quick about his work, gathering Cloud up into his arms and escaping out the window into the darkness. Any possessions they had left behind could be replaced, and he was quick to be away from the burning house and into the night.

He didn't give Cloud a chance to recover any energy as he moved swiftly down the streets to another part of the upper class neighbourhood that would be safe for a night or two. He had been through most of the houses for clothing, food, and other items that might make living comfortable, so he had a good idea on which house he wished to make use of. Once he was there, he could tend to Cloud and get the blonde to sleep then deal with whatever came out of this tomorrow morning.

Any heartless that stepped into his path were immediately blown apart by magic, not a usual tactic of his. It felt good to release his magic though, and he did it without pause, as he was more than aware that having Cloud in his arms meant he was once again sole-protector of the blonde. He took extra care because he knew that this entire incident tonight had been an error on his part, one he could shift blame but he decided not to. He just wouldn't admit his fault out loud.

Jumping up from the streets to an open window, Sephiroth slipped inside without looking back, hopping down to the floor and padding across the darkened room until his knees hit the side of a bed. He stopped and slowly lay Cloud's weakened body down on the bed, brushing stray strands of blonde's hair and making sure that Cloud's breathing was steady. It was, which allowed him to move down and tug off Cloud's sneakers and food-soiled clothing, tossing them into a corner to be cleaned up later on.

Noting that Cloud was shivering, he bundled the blonde up with a heavy blanket before noting the pained groan. He sighed heavily and roughly reset Cloud's shoulder then added a bandage to keep it resistant to movement over the course of the night. He checked the blonde's clawed fingers to make certain that Cloud had not managed any accident self-inflicted damage, and, upon seeing no blood, he re-tucked Cloud away in the safety of the blanket.

He wiped drying blood from Cloud's face with the top sheet before feeling along the rising bruises on the blonde's face from his previous slamming. They would go down within a couple of hours, even if Cloud would probably carry the purplish yellow marks for at least a day. It would simply be a testament of their dispute and a reminder that he could still rule over Cloud. Perhaps it would even encourage some sort of obedience… doubtful.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Sephiroth woke late in the morning, shocked that he had fallen asleep at all. The last he remembered was lying down to keep watch over Cloud for the night as he normally did. Somewhere along the way, he must have fallen asleep, which was strange as he had not been feeling tired the night before. He sensed no residual magic on him, so the sleep had to have been natural.

Perhaps what disturbed him most of all was the fact that Cloud was not on the bed either. The bundle of blankets that should have housed Cloud's body was pulled in the direction furthest from him where the blonde had obviously gotten from the bed. He did not like the prospect that he had slept so heavily as to have missed Cloud's departure and now had no idea where the blonde had wandered off to. He would be displeased if their confrontation the night before had lasted so far into the next day.

Cloud could have just been hungry, he realized. No evening meal and now so late the morning, Cloud had to have been very hungry. It was completely legitimate that his precious would move about in search of something to eat, even if that thought displeased him and almost shamed him. He was responsible for Cloud, and he had been overtaken by a moment of needing old freedoms back, something he was no longer allowed.

Sephiroth sat up and stretched his wing out before folding it against his shoulder and sliding to the end of the bed. He then stretched the rest of his body and rose to his feet to move in search of Cloud, hoping that this would not turn into a game of hide 'n seek as his patience was already thin. He grumbled to himself as he moved around to the open door of the bedroom.

His foot caught on a warm object, and he half-tripped over Cloud's body. He stumbled and caught himself from tipping over, but he turned to offer the blonde a glare for lying around on the floor in a hidden area. Cloud didn't even look at him, which instantly drew his attention in a different way, and he moved closer to investigation what the blonde was up to, not sleeping or Cloud would have been hissing at him for the wake-up call.

He came to stand next to Cloud and peer over the blonde's non-winged shoulder, his head automatically tilting to the side. His eyes followed the shaky shift of the pencil up and down the pad of half-ruined paper, slowly scrawling letters in a random order and getting a few backwards too. It was a horrible excuse for any sort of communication, but the blonde was trying hard to get the letters out as Cloud remembered them, the humanoid right hand working furiously to keep the pencil against the paper and shifting appropriately. It was the first successful attempt at writing he had seen from Cloud in that regard.

Slowly, he fell into a crouch next to Cloud and reached out to set a hand to the back of the blonde's head, his fingers twining into the messy locks of hair. He received a soft hiss, but it appeared the threat was not actually worth Cloud's energy as the blonde continued to simply put all concentration into scribbling down letters. They weren't even in a straight line, but some abstract part of himself was proud to see those large messy letters appearing.

He had taught Cloud what the alphabet in three languages were, and he slowly seated himself on the floor next to the blonde and, as gently as possible, he said, "Write the letter 'C', precious." He nodded his head when Cloud looked at him, and he couldn't help but smirk when the shaky letter appeared. "Now an 'L', then 'O', 'U', 'D'." Each letter appeared slowly after his instruction, and he patted the top of Cloud's head afterwards. "And that is how you spell your name, Cloud."

Sephiroth was briefly amused by the look of amazement that overtook Cloud's features. It quickly turned into a look of accomplishment, and the word was slowly written out again, though he was more than aware it wasn't for memorization purposes. Cloud just wanted to write the name again, and Sephiroth was pleased to know that it would not be too long at all until Cloud was ready to kill with him.

He rose to his feet gracefully and watched Cloud peer up at him through bruises and a scabbed up split lip. "Practice your letters, and I will make some breakfast," he said quietly and watched the blonde's face brighten at the prospect of food. It was the first nice concept they had managed to brooch with each other in almost twelve hours, so he decided to leave things on a good note and make them both something to eat that would keep the mood light and hopefully positive.

Cloud hadn't even bother to maul him, and that pleased him too. His little hatchling was growing up fast, but that meant he would be able to have more freedom as well. Perhaps it was time to let Cloud grow up? He was still caught on that regard, but he did know that he was settled on the thought of taking Cloud off of Hollow Bastion for some exploration.

There were plenty of other worlds that would keep Cloud entertained and out of trouble. It would require teaching the blonde to shift form to transport across space and appear in another place, but if Cloud could grasp writing and magic then it would be simple. Besides, Cloud was his hatchling and that had to count for something, unless that useless Ansem tainted his precious too much.

Sephiroth paused and turned to look down the hall to where he could still make out Cloud's legs slowly rising and falling in a childish gesture of concentration. A small smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded his head to himself, feeling right about things for now. Perhaps he would live to regret the day, but he doubted it as he had never regretted anything in his entire life; it helped his species was incapable of such an emotion as well. The darkness made it impossible to regret, and he preferred to keep it that way as well. His actions were his own, and he didn't need his mind playing any sort of tricks on him to try and sway what he knew was best for himself and others.

Walking to the kitchen, he made up a quick and easy breakfast. It was time to move on. He turned his head towards the kitchen door and called out, "Cloud, come and get something to eat." He heard the near instant patter of hurried feet down the halls towards his direction, feeling Cloud's power resonating to locate him quickly. "Learning faster than I can teach you," he whispered with a hint of pride.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

**Author's Notes:**

So, I figured out that I could technically talk back to anyone that has a account and signs in to review my fics. This is a good thing since I have sort of always wanted to speak back the reviewer to let them know that I'm actually listening to them and am interested in what they have to say. Of course, then I wonder if I wander into the scope of being a creepy stalker writer? I would hate to freak people out by being all "ZOMG, thanks for the review…insert thoughts and reply here".

I seem to have a SephxCloud fanclub following me from one fic to another. I've noticed an alarming trend of reviewers squeeing and hoping for another happy roll in the sheets between those two. I admit the thought has crossed my mind, but I haven't made solid plans… though, if I do have them hop into bed, I am so writing a full-blown lemon (though I can't post it here and will have to host it elsewhere).

Also, it is about time that I thank all the people that read my fic, whether they like it or not. The simple fact that people take the time to sit down and read it makes me proud of writing. I especially thank those who take the extra time to review and let me know their thoughts, impressions, wants, ect. You all are awesome (and someday, I will write you all smut).


	5. Chapter 5: Childhood Part 2

**Killer Instinct – Childhood Part 2**

By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts are owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

The entire process of going from one place in space and time to another was rather confusing. He had thought for a moment that he had been able to handle moving himself, and Sephiroth had gone as far as to openly praise him for his ability to move short distances. He had been proud of himself as well, but he figured quickly that any sort of arrogance he might have had altered his longer distance attempts.

He had first landed himself in a storming ocean somewhere, and in his desperation to get out of the situation, he had gone wherever his powers had transported him. Going from near-drowning to wet and begraggled sitting in the middle of a dense forest did little to make him happy as Sephiroth was no where to be found even when he resonated his powers outward in an attempt at location. He sat miserably dripping salt water and flapped his wing to rid it of water, only to tuck the black appendage stubbornly against his shoulder. The wing would not help him here.

After glaring at his surroundings, Cloud finally pushed soggy spikes from his eyes and slopped his way through the forest, getting hit with all sorts of plant life. Vines, massive leaves, horrid smelling flowers surrounded him, and he knew if he wasn't careful that he would end up running into a hidden stump or tree. His curiosity stayed away because of his misery at the situation, and he swatted at leaves to vent his frustration while hissing curses that Sephiroth didn't know he had taught himself.

The forest should have been interesting to him, but he found it aggravating. He traveled around the dense foliage not getting any drier than he started thanks to the humidity of the new environment. He also was no closer to being anywhere of use that would give him a bearing on his current location or the world he had managed to lose himself on. If he could not find his way back to Sephiroth, he could only hope the older man would find him and take him back to a place he knew since this one was not a place he wanted to stay.

Huffing angrily, he stopped and looked up, trying to see through dense foliage to the skies above as Sephiroth had taught him. The thick reaches of leaves and branches blocked any hope of being able to locate any stars, though he realized that it appeared that there would be no stars for awhile if all that filtered out sunlight kept up where it was. He was better in the darkness of night than the light of the day, though he considered climbing a tree to get above the tree line so that he could dry himself off.

Cloud paused at the sound of a twig snapping nearby, his acute hearing picking up the near insignificant noise compared to birds singing. Instincts fell into place as he turned his head a little to look towards the source of the sound subtly, not wishing to deter whatever was out there from revealing itself to him. If it came too close, he would simply dispatch it and perhaps have a meal of fresh meat.

He waited and had a gut feeling that he was being sized up, so he casually picked at the sweat t-shirt clinging to his skin. The wet sopping sound as the material drew away only to flop back against his chest sounded loud to his own ears, but it clearly defined his slight frame that, while well-muscled, was still in need of training to fill out completely. He knew to any predator, he would look like an easy and tempting meal in his disoriented state with being in a new environment.

The subtle shift of leaves that clearly indicated the movement of a body drew his attention to his open back. His enemy would attack him from behind and try to gain an advantage with a quick kill, possibly going for his vulnerable throat first while pinning his arms down by his sides. He pulled his wing harder against his shoulder, hiding it as best he could even as he pretended to look around and even went as far as to scratch the back of his head with his human hand as if to show his confusion at his isolation.

The darkness that clung to him alerted him to light nearby, a life force untouched by darkness. He sensed some other creatures at a further distance away, and he silently resonated his power and felt some of it come back, giving him a keen awareness of the size and shape of his quarry. He smirked confidently as he knew that hunter had suddenly become hunted, and he was awfully hungry now.

He had not yet been able to catch his own large game only because it wasn't available on Hollow Bastion, but now… his instincts to kill raged in his body and mind. Sephiroth had spoken openly about the joys of the kill, the struggling of the prey and then the ceasing of life thanks to crushing hands or the slide of metal through flesh. In his infancy days, it had been a good story, but as a child, he had grown excited to experience the kill for himself.

A sudden crash though the bushes made his eyes narrow as his pupils dilated as a flash of movement came for him. He spun around easily, his wing rising from being obscured by his dark t-shirt and his demonic hand rose in front of him to receive any attack. A slick body covered in fur broke though the trees with a look of complete surprise probably both at his appearance and his readiness for this ambush.

Cloud hissed loudly and leapt at his new found prey, his legs driving him suddenly and powerfully to close the distance as the feline-like creature attempted to turn about and make a dash away from him. He leapt and was on the creature, slamming his fist into the side of its jaw while his demonic claws sunk deep into flesh, receiving a pained cry from his quarry. He liked that sound.

He clung on when the feline-creature spun in an attempt to throw him, and he instead threw his weight to one side to topple the creature, growling his domination of this new situation. His blood thundered in his veins, driving his muscles to contract at his commands, and he was hyper-sensitive to every shift of muscle and limb under his grip, the rise and fall of furred skin over muscle and bone. The hotness of blood on his hands drove him to claw harder as the creature fell over and scrambled to get clawed feet in a position to attack in return.

Deftly, he avoided the deadly claws and slashed across a shoulder with the claw on his wing, hooking it over clavicle bone and holding himself steady. His legs slammed into hip bones to force hind legs to stay down on the ground as he clawed and pounded his prey into submission. This prey was so much more entertaining than the insects and heartless he normally played with that he simply continued to play in his rough way.

He eventually let go and hopped easily to his feet, noting he was covered in crimson as the feline-like creature attempted to get up. He paced around it proudly, snapping his jaws and slashing his clawed hand forward to herd the limping creature in the direction of his choice. He cornered it against a tree and managed to get his first good look at what sort of prey he had managed to get himself as an eventual meal to sate his hungry.

It was smaller than himself but not by much, muscled shoulders and limbs probably making it an adult of its species. It was covered over with course tanned fur, sharp retractable claws on each of the similarly build hands as himself. Long pointy ears jutted up on either side of the creature's head and a human-like face stared back at him with what he had read as whiskers twitching in his direction. Blood coursed from many of the wounds he had inflicted, matting the fur up and one arm hung down limply from the damage to the shoulder muscles.

Cloud gave a childish noise to state his enjoyment of this sort of business, suddenly thinking this world was not quite so bad anymore. He approached cautiously, smirking when the feline-creature raised claws to defend itself, and he raised his clawed hand in return. He walked a zigzagged line to size up his prey, moving in before drawing up his wing as an extra weapon in his arsenal.

"…demon…"

He stopped at the word, one that he recognized from one of the three languages that he knew. It was the common one that Sephiroth had first taught him. He tilted his head to the side in curiosity at the creature, sniffing the air as if to detect just what sort of species this was that he had encountered. He glanced back at his wing before giving it a little flap, looking back to the creature and hissing loudly as he took a step forward to get his first kill.

"…demon, you do not belong here. We banished your kind long ago," it said to him. He again paused as he stared at the creature. It had his attention now, and it seemed to recognize that he understood it. "Go back to the underworld, demon…"

Cloud weighed up the words of warning to just how hungry he was. He admitted that he was probably able to walk away without feeling too much discomfort to his stomach now that he knew life was here. He wanted to taste its flesh though. "Eat you," he stated firmly.

"Even if you do, the others will find you and kill you as you deserve…" it snapped but still shrunk away when he began to move in again.

He could feel the rising panic, the thrum of life in the feline-creature in the drive to live on. It was like electricity dancing along his skin, and he could watch the signs of fear and desperate overtaking those hairy features the more he moved in. He thought that he could practically hear the lub-dub of its heart beating, the rush of blood through veins and out of wounds; the blood smelled good, not like the food he normally ate.

He watched in fascination as pupils dilated undeniably large as he leapt, slapping flailing claws away from injuring him as he pounced. The dying shriek ran down his spine in the most wonderful of ways even as his claws sunk into throat, tearing vital veins and arteries before his other hand grasped onto forehead and slammed the creature back hard against the bark of the tree. He felt the tension of muscles and then… slackness and silence.

Cloud stopped and allowed his head to rise up as he listened as some birds went silent and others screamed their knowledge of his kill to him. His claws sunk deeper into flesh just to feel the slide of it against his fingers, and it was even better than Sephiroth had told him. Words really were no comparison to actually having the kill at his hands, feeling the life drain from bodies to simply leave behind a meal.

He clawed at the fur coat, tearing it open to reveal fleshy red muscle, which he consciously took a bite out of. Chewing thoughtfully, he decided that it tasted much better than anything that he had eaten before, so tender and fresh and sat so nicely warming his belly. He paused to make sure that he was relatively alone then eagerly went back to his fresh kill, taking mouthfuls of flesh and eating it hungrily.

It took him only a short amount of time to consume his fill of his first kill. He didn't simply want to walk away from it either in case he grew hungry again, so he licked the blood off of his hands and washed his face and arms off with water that had collected on leaves, contented in his accomplishment. He just proved that he could survive on his own for at least a short period of time, though he wasn't so sure how he liked being so isolated or… more the feeling that he did not know when he would be back with Sephiroth again.

Laying himself down next to his kill, he pondered what he was to do now that he was full but without any idea where he was. Then there was the fact he had been called 'demon' for some reason. Sephiroth had never called him anything like that, but he knew that demon was a mythological religious figure that comprised of evil intentions and nothing but darkness. He agreed with the darkness part, since Sephiroth openly stated that they were creatures who were one with the darkness and even taught him a few things about magic that revolved solely around darkness. But… evil intentions? He simply was hungry, so he caught something to eat. Now he was full, but he didn't think that was evil intentions since he had been taught that the worlds were always a game of 'eat or be eaten'.

Cloud yawned lazily and peered around at the massive trees around him. His clothing still clung to him uncomfortably, and his spiky blonde hair hung into his eyes from the moisture. He would grow bored soon if he decided that he was too uncomfortable for an afternoon nap, meaning that he would have to get up and leave his kill to find some entertainment. He yawned again before picking some left over meat from his teeth and spitting it out.

He flapped his wing to throw off some moisture that was dripping down the leathery skin before curling it around his face to block out the light. He settled in by laying his head down on one of his arms and curling up for an attempt at sleeping. Perhaps when he woke up, he would have a better knowledge on where he was or the energy to escape.

Sighing, he tensed as the birds in the trees above went silent, slowly lifting his head to investigate the sudden silence. He bristled at what appeared to be a large bird creature stared at him from the trees above, obviously sizing him up as well. He hissed loudly at the higher-ground advantage and sat up completely, eyeing that creature as much as it was eyeing him. It somewhat resembled the feline one that he had eaten in some body-formed way.

His eyes dropped as a few others slipped from the dense forest to surround him, keeping a strict distance away. He turned his head and made a silent calculation on how many there were that he could see and then doubled that number for how many were probably hidden away still. He rose to his feet, his wing rising to attention and his clawed hand clenching at his side. He heard several murmurs, the word 'demon' coming up continually.

Muscles tightening along his shoulders and down his thighs, he felt their life forces when he resonated his darkness outwards and made a soft hissing noise between his teeth. This could be a challenge, but he did so like them. He set his shoulders and raised a hand in the air, calling darkness around his hand in a simple spell that he had been able to master. An orb of darkness expanded above his head, crackling with red energy.

He grunted when a leg slammed across his back, forcing him forward as the spell fizzled out around him before completion. He growled and watched as several began to move in on him, but he leapt up to meet the bird creature that swooped down, slashing expertly with his primary weapon. Hot pain exploded on his cheek as taloned claws nicked his flesh, but he managed to get a hand on a leg and clung. His extra weight seemed to be enough to drag it down to the ground, where he was quick to pounce and get a good hold on the creature.

He noted that more than a few paused, especially when the claw of his wing slid around and pressed into throat, threatening to kill again. He hissed loudly and gripped harder on the individual he had caught, but he found the advantage not his own as a handful charged at him. He growled and swiped at the nearest one with his claw, only to be tackled from the side by three others.

Kicking and hissing, he struggled against the heavier weight, used to this kind of disadvantage combat. He threw one off and slashed his claw into another, scampering off to the side away from the third in an attempt to get a bearing on his surroundings.

"Catch the demon!"

He snarled and slashed again, dodging to the side of an attack before growling angrily when a spear slammed into his side, knocking him over. He leapt up immediately, meeting the large canine head on and entering a bout of hand-to-hand combat with an oversized foe. He managed to sink his claws into soft belly and slash up an arm with his wing before he was tackled from behind, feeling claws dig into his back. The canine foe in front of him tackled him to the ground and bit hard into his wing shoulder, managing to wrangle a cry of pain from him as his wing went dead.

Cloud fought nonetheless, jerking to the side and slashing at the canine biting him, but he couldn't quite swing his good arm around to do more than push against the locked jaws. He swung back around when a spearhead was thrust into his side, hissing and breaking through the rudimentary stick with his hand. He snapped up the spearhead and pulled it free of himself, fully prepared to use it as a weapon to defend himself.

He never got the chance as another canine looking creature slammed into him hard, rocking him over before grabbing one of his arms and twisting it awkwardly behind his back. He hissed and snapped, trying to jerk his arm free before he found himself dog-piled on, his arms and legs captured and bound quickly. His wing was equally bound and his eyes covered and mouth gagged despite his struggles to get away to perhaps make a run for it.

His struggles ceased when he was slammed repeatedly in the head until he lost consciousness. This world again did not seem like such a pleasant place, and he swore to never deal with forested worlds again. This was different from when he and Sephiroth play fought, and he did not like the uncertainty.

Where was Sephiroth?

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Having spent years in Sephiroth's type of care, Cloud knew that waking up was going to be a painful process. He ached all over, wounds sending tremors of pain along every nerve fiber of his being and making his new bout of consciousness unpleasant. He almost wished that he had stayed in the world of darkness that was safe from pain, but he also knew that coming awake meant he could heal faster than when he was asleep.

He shifted slightly to test his body, and he immediately disliked the feeling of his clothing clinging to his body still. It wasn't water that was dragging his clothes painfully over his skin, but his own blood which had not been removed. In fact, his wounds had not be touched at all, left to themselves which was not a situation that he was used to in the slightest. Sephiroth always tended to his needs first, but then he reminded himself that Sephiroth was not the one that had beaten him this time.

Cracking an eye open, he hissed softly as light flooded in, causing his eye to immediately close again. He found that his legs dangling between something hard, bound around the ankles so tightly he was not sure if he had feet anymore. His arms were left hanging at his sides, but his wrists were also bound as was his neck and wing he found soon after. He shifted around his enclosure with his heavy right hand to find sticks all around him, a round ball-like enclosure holding him in mid-air… a cage.

He opened his eyes, forcing them to adjust to the light and looked around to confirm his state of imprisonment. 'Caged like a beast' Sephiroth would say, probably with an added, 'treated as nothing but waste'. He snarled softly as he looked around his round cage, setting a hand to the nearest wall to test its strength; it held firm. He punched one side and shifted around to test the stability, only to find that escape would be difficult.

Glancing downwards, he perceived two posted guards where he could see the tips of their spears. Not wishing to draw attention to himself, he eased his aching back against the far wall which was obviously made to not be comfortable. His wounds stung, and he was not used to having them raw still with the tatters of his clothing crusted with blood. These people had meant to inflict damage and leave it, but they had not killed him to eat as he had. He did not completely understand their game.

He managed to doze again for a few hours, only to be rudely awakened by a spearhead jamming into one of his thighs. He growled loudly and withdrew from the contact as much as he could, leaning over to peer down at his captors. There was a significant group staring up at him, all animalistic in appearance and nature, and they all did not look to be intrigued with him as he was with them. He hissed and gripped the side of his enclosure, trying to shake it threateningly without much success; his efforts managed to get mocking chuckles out of some of the larger males.

"It is just a baby demonling, hardly a threat for us. We should call a blood hunt and tear it to pieces… that would show its mother not to let fledglings wander too far."

"Baby or no, it still managed to kill one of our own. That is a grave sin."

"Yet, it was an act of animalistic need for the child. Rohl was eaten; therefore, our laws protect this child from ill deeds. Certainly, we can hold the little one until the mother comes, but a blood hunt is much too severe for a child no matter the racial background." None of the group seemed to like that gray-haired one's talk, but they seemed attentive anyway.

"Demons are exempt from our laws, chicks, fledglings and adults. They have no place here in the jungle anymore, but… some respect should be taken with being rid of the child. I deem a stone death one to be appropriate and the least painful as well." That canine creature seemed to be the leader of sorts and stared up at him with a measured amount of caution and respect… yet, he detected a hint of disgust as well.

In fact, he noted quite a few emotions that he had learned from Sephiroth's teachings. There was anger, some frustration, hatred, caution, fear and even a hint of curiosity. He had been taught to identify them, but he had never experienced them for himself save anger and frustration. Perhaps he had felt them, but there was no way for him to identify them without Sephiroth placing a word to his emotion, thus teaching him aspects of what he could and was feeling in a given situation. These hairy creatures did not like him, and they wanted to be rid of him quickly.

Cloud watched the group disband with several remaining behind as what appeared guard shift or to continue to stare up at him. He leaned over enough to identify smaller beings, possibly those that were more his mental and emotional age. He wriggled in his cage to get a better look at what children looked like, not sure how something so small and defenseless could be useful in the world. He had been born into an adult body filled with weaponry and strength to defend himself if needed but those… had little claws and teeth that could hardly have enough strength to do serious damage.

He blinked when a stone hit the cage beside his hand, not certain what to make of that game. The guards posted said nothing, so he thought that it must have been allowed. A few more sharp stones were thrown and hit him in the legs or rattled off the cage, but he eventually managed to catch one for himself. It was just a normal stone, but the fact it was in his hands now seemed to alert the guards more and one even lifted the spear threateningly towards him and ordered him to drop the weapon.

He refused and leaned back in his round cage and turned the stone over in his hands as best he could, investigating it and using the little object to vaguely entertain himself. That was, until a spearhead knocked his foot with more force and a more forceful order was given for him to drop the stone. He simply ignored it, since he only listened to Sephiroth because he knew what would be done to him if he failed to adhere to the older man's orders.

The wounds on his back ached and felt hot, as did all the other wounds he still carried with him. He took his mind off of his discomfort with the little stone, so he was not about to give it up without a fight. It eased him to be a child again waiting for Sephiroth to come and find him, though he did not quite understand what was taking so long. Until Sephiroth found him, the stone would be entertainment while he was in the cage.

He yelped when the spear came up again and jammed into the back of his thigh roughly, forcing him to twist around and try to draw his legs back up from dangling. His noise provoked laughter from the children, and they threw more stones up at him, some hitting but very few doing anymore more than annoying him. He simply shifted himself around in the cage, drawing his legs from the holes and peering down at the small group, the spear coming up again towards him, which he batted away and hissed loudly.

His efforts won him more jeering calls and a few insults. He felt little understanding on what was going on, not familiar with this kind of game, but he came quickly to the conclusion that he didn't like it. It was not fun, since he was held captive and relatively unmoving. He was forced to endure as stones and even some sticks were thrown at him, and if he remained unmoving too long, the spearmen would prod him and harass him, usually ripping at his skin and opening more wounds. If he showed his teeth and attacked back, he noted that he was punished with a harsher thrust of the spear.

No, he did not like this game at all. In fact, after a few hours, he came to realize that this was not a game at all, not one that he was involved in. He was being picked on, his disadvantages exploited over and over again for the sake of some form of entertainment. He liked to be entertained, but not to be this kind of entertainment, something so different from what he was used to.

Cloud found himself wearied when the first night came and tried to get himself some sleep. He was tired after his adventures and wanting to be somewhere vastly more pleasant than this place, but every time he began to doze off, he was prodded awake again. He tried shifting positions and hiding the fact he was trying to sleep, but he was always poked awake before he even entered a form of deep sleep.

By the morning, he was miserable. Covered in insect bites where any skin had been exposed, he had endured a fierce battle with furry beasts that held spears. He itched; he was tired; he ached; he was hungry. The wound on his shoulder was infected and oozing pus and throbbing pain, and it now refused to heal with his normal abilities due to the infection.

His wing was still dead-weight on his shoulder and his clothing clung uncomfortably to him, but he was still given little in the way of comfort. Instead, some of the children from the day before returned and took up a new game taunting him, calling him names and occasionally throwing sharp stones at him in an attempt to get a reaction.

They succeeded until mid-afternoon in which he was too tired to care and just leaned heavily on the front of the cage. He hated this place, but more so, he was beginning to realize just how much he hated his tormentors. His life was suddenly not a game where Sephiroth stood over him to teach him things and tend his wounds when he managed to get hurt. This was something he did not understand completely, but the experience alone was enough to form the first shards of dark bitterness and anger towards his treatment and helplessness. This was an unfriendly world with unfriendly people that wanted to hurt him on all levels.

It made him realize just how good Sephiroth was to him. He had never cared and even resented the older man on occasions for being so controlling over him and making him do things he did not like. Sephiroth fed him and cleaned him and tended to him and taught him, and that sort of treatment was what he craved desperately even after only being a day out from under the older man's wing in the world.

Cloud growled softly when he was prodded for no reason, shifting a leg away from the contact. He blinked when the cage lurched and was slowly lowered down towards the ground again, eyeing the group of males that were standing around watching his descent. He remained with his chin against the thick sticks even as they moved in on him, biding his time as he had learned, though he admitted surprise when the cage was taken apart from the outside.

Before he could try to escape a forked stick pinned his neck back against the far end of the cage, holding him there until enough room to let him emerge was created. He slowly slid himself out of the cage and climbed to his feet, almost wishing he had not when he nearly collapsed down from the wounds in his legs.

He whimpered softly and snapped his jaws when his arm was taken roughly, jerking to the opposite side in an attempt to free himself. He was gripped on the other arm soon after, and he immediately struggled. It was futile as he was quickly subdued and driven to the ground to be held firm, kicking his legs as much as possible until his ankles were bound tightly. His wrists soon followed, though he heard a muttered comment about his wounded state, which was heavily laden with infection.

He tried not to make noise as his wounds were poked and prodded, shifting away as much as possible when the poking became too much. He was slammed in the back once for snapping at a hand coming near his mouth, which completely debilitated him and drew a whimper from him.

Hauled up, Cloud twisted a little to test the hold on him only to be punched in the back of the head. He hung his head and allowed himself to be dragged along a forest path, watching his surroundings as best he could to memorize the path. He raised his head when the males dragging him paused and loud shouts arose around them, finding himself at the bottom of steep stone steps where a long slab of white marble lay at the height of the tower, confused as to its purpose.

The shouting and hollers of excitement began to give away the situation he was in as he was manhandled up the steep stone stairs, pulling at the rope around his ankles with increased desperation. He whined softly at the hopelessness of the situation and grunted when he was slammed stomach first down on the marble slab, twisting and jerking himself around until the four males managed to pin him down. He grew tired quickly, his struggles tapering off as the roar of the creatures increased with his helplessness, their cries overtaking the sound of the drums that he only then realized had been there.

Guttural cries and howls cut off suddenly as the canine male that had spoken the day before about a 'stone death' came forward. Words formed in a language he could not understand, and he was denied access to look at anything but the sea of flesh, teeth and claws of the crowd spanning the entire stone stairs. Whatever was being spoken drew many eyes to him, that same look of disdain making him hate them all the more for putting him in this position, one he could not understand.

Desperately, he began to resonate his power outward, trying to draw attention to himself. Any attention would due as he came to realize the speech was coming to an end and the spiney blade was produced for a reason his mind quickly supplied him. He squirmed against the cold slab, feeling the heat of the fire increase as some form of dust was thrown on them, and he resonated harder with added growls and twisting, all of which were futile.

"…Sephiroth…" he said softly. He wanted to be home in Hollow Bastion.

Cloud whined softly as clawed fingers dug into his blonde hair, rising from the base of his hairline up to halfway up his skull before jerking his head backwards roughly. He snarled and tried to jerk his head away, only to have the grip tighten with two other hands grabbing up some of the hair at the side of his head to hold it still as he watched the silver blade come into view from the right in a deadly slow motion until the blade pressed against his throat. His breathing rate increased dramatically as the blade began to cut into his throat, feeling the sudden flow of hotness down his skin and realizing more was to follow.

The blade cut in deep suddenly as the hand holding it jerked, and he whimpered and clenched his eyes shut. He opened one again when the blade slackened and the wild sounds of the crowds died off sharply, not certain what was going on as he was unable to turn his head.

"And who pray tell gave any of you permission to touch my lost little child?" He had never been so relieved to hear that deep voice, unable to identify half of the emotions that flowed through Sephiroth though. It was a different voice from all the other times. "Release him slowly and without harm… and your leader will have been the only one to have died as a punishment for bringing my little one to pain."

He felt the hands holding his head slacken and disappear before all weight that was holding him down left suddenly as a sudden heat blasted on either side of him, the smell of burning flesh accosting him just as suddenly. He sneezed as he faltered and slumped against the stone slab, wriggling in his bonds until they were cut free by a familiar blade which floated in to guard by his wounded winged shoulder as he lay quietly gathering himself again.

"Rise, Cloud. Show me those blue eyes of yours so that I may relish in the skies I once left behind," Sephiroth said behind him, obviously close at hand though. "Let us hope for everyone's sake that he is not permanently damaged, or I will slaughter you all on this very sacrificial monument."

Cloud pulled his knees and elbows under him and pushed his weight upwards, rising slowly and painfully until he sat up and nearly fell backwards. A shaky hand rose to cover the deep wound to his throat as he flopped backwards and found himself resting up against Sephiroth's leather-clad legs, turning his face up to peer through the shadows at glowing green eyes studying him intently.

He could sense the murderous intent oozing from Sephiroth, and it was clear that others could feel it as well. That was perhaps the reason none of the mass mob had yet dare charge up against them. He tried to draw himself up to his feet, but Sephiroth's hand settled on the top of his head to ease him down again, an act of both tenderness and possessiveness that was not difficult to miss.

"Years I have spent raising this one in my image, to be the last of our kind for ages to come until my precious is also ready to create an egg for himself. Invested time and energy is worth a tremendous amount, and I do not take kindly to any sort of maltreatment to this child." Sephiroth was smooth, confident, arrogant even. He had seen different sides of the man, but this was a Sephiroth that thrived on the fear and discomfort that words alone could bring. "And look at him… infected wounds, bloody clothing, exhausted… some sacrifice he would have been."

Cloud glanced over to the side as the Masamune slid over until the point pressed into the slab, feeling the cool metal of the blade against the side of his neck. He was not afraid of that blade, and it was clear Sephiroth meant its placement as a protective gesture even as crackling blue energy ran down the blade before arcing off and slam into a nearby canine, dropping the creature instantly.

"…but… you said we would live if he was let up!"

Cloud couldn't see Sephiroth's smirk, but he knew the man enough to know it was there, cold and confident. "I lied," Sephiroth said simply. "I will use all of your blooded hides to make a blanket to take my precious home in so that I may tend to him properly. Besides… he must be hungry and look at all this fresh meat…"

He flopped backwards as Sephiroth suddenly moved away from him, whining for attention until the harsh sounds of screams reached his ears. They were strange screams too, ones of terror, ones of anger, one of pain… but they all seemed to radiate off of each other into a kind of music that Sephiroth had often described to him when he was little. He simply lay and listened to the flow of that music, hearing it and enjoying as one voice let the song abruptly.

He knew his hatred then. In a matter of a day, he had learned to hate and loathe the face of his captors. It was part of his nature, Sephiroth would tell him, the darkness that they were bred from knowing only dark emotions. He had found hatred simply by existing as a difference to the world he had found himself on, and he latched onto that hatred as he listened to the continued song of the dying.

Cloud realized that he did not want it to end, that he was making himself feel better by the pain and anger that Sephiroth brought so easily. The tables had turned so brutally for those fur-bags of flesh, and he took an increasing amount of enjoyment each time he heard a crackle of magic or the slice of the Masamune through flesh, the dying scream or gurgle bringing a tingle down his spine.

Shifting on the stone he was laying on, he wanted to rise and watch this slaughter. He could not even muster the energy to do that, and Sephiroth was keeping him safe with a dome of magic that instantly exploded when touched from the outside. He desired that strength, that skill, that ability to kill without pause… and he would someday have it, he knew. A child now but he too would grow to be an adult and kill as Sephiroth did, and he would kill with Sephiroth as the older man promised him so many times. It was the first time he realized how much he wanted that bloodthirsty darkness to claim his mind and body.

He nearly pouted as the music died away as it was apparent that Sephiroth was the dominating force and many of the beasts fled into the jungle. The others simply lay silently dead, and all too soon, the music was gone.

Sephiroth's boots appeared by his side shortly after the music died away to a low murmur, and he managed to squirm enough to roll himself fully onto his back to stare up the distance at the older man. He expected at least some anger for his blunder that had ended up with the position that they were in now, but instead, he could make out a sadistic little smirk on the curve of Sephiroth's lips.

Despite himself, Cloud let out a soft whimper when Sephiroth fell into a crouch by his side, one hand reaching out and grasping onto the dark leather of Sephiroth's long jacket. He watched as a gloved hand came down to press against the wound on his neck, probably testing for the severity of it.

"Do you hate them, Cloud?"

Cloud nodded his head as best he could, his hand clenching in the folds of Sephiroth's jacket. He tugged gently to indicate he wanted to be picked up, but Sephiroth made no move to handle him. It became clear that Sephiroth was waiting for something.

His eyes darted over to a rising body just over Sephiroth's shoulder, the bloody matted furball snarling and snapping at the sight it found when looking at them. A howl sounded as the canine creature charged, baring teeth as it moved in to Sephiroth's open back. His eyes narrowed with anger and hatred at such an attack, growling softly as he tried to rise to finish off the creature and not allow it to harm Sephiroth.

Flame exploded around the canine before he even got the change to get an elbow under his body, and he watched in a silent glee as its pained screams echoed around the monument. He could not tear his eyes away until the body fell and stopped desperately rolling over the bodies of fallen brethren. When it did stop moving, he was almost disappointed at the cut off screaming, leaving only the crackling noise of burning flesh being stripped from bones.

"You hate, my precious," Sephiroth whispered in his ear, and he hadn't not realized the older man had leaned down. "You hate them because of what they did to you." He felt Sephiroth's fingers scratching through his hair gently, as if praising his newfound emotion. "How much do you hate them, Cloud?"

Cloud looked away from the flaming mass of flesh up at Sephiroth, contemplating saying nothing at all. The intent look on Sephiroth's face was one he had not seen before, and that alone compelled an answer from him. "I want to kill them."

Sephiroth's smirk grew, and he found himself gently picked up from the slab of white marble and cradled like a child. He rested his cheek against Sephiroth's chest and looked out over the monument, noting that not as many had been killed as he had imagined. Most seemed to have run off, meaning that Sephiroth had killed to protect him not to have a complete slaughter.

"Do you hate them," he asked softly, looking up at Sephiroth again.

"I hate more things than I like," was the reply, which stumped Cloud for a moment as he contemplated the meaning of that answer.

"You like me?"

He didn't like it when Sephiroth laughed like that, the sound sharp and mocking to his ears, much like those of the children who had tormented him for two days. He looked away until his chin was grabbed and forced upwards so he was staring up into Sephiroth's face again. "Like is such a weak word for the connection between us, but love is much too strong. I am… overly fond of you, Cloud."

Cloud was not certain that he understood the vast connection between the term 'like' and 'love', not emotions he was familiar with together. He settled for simply accepting the word 'fond' as a point between like and love, and he leaned his head against Sephiroth's chest again. "I like you."

It took a lot to catch Sephiroth off guard, but it was clear from the stiffening of the older man's body that Sephiroth had not expected him to say that. He was not talkative for one, and he never actually expressed himself in terms of feelings when he did speak, mostly because he had little understanding of some of the emotions he felt in terms of words.

"Your wounds need cleaning, and it is time for you to learn to use a weapon. I know of a place that is safe and can provide both to us," Sephiroth said, though Cloud thought he heard a hint of weariness in the older man's voice. He peered up at Sephiroth questionably. "I am owed a favour, that is all."

Cloud decided it was best not to question, and instead just rested his head against Sephiroth's chest again. Perhaps he would be able to get some sleep now that Sephiroth was going to take care of his wounds and watch over him.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Thoughts of sleep fled as soon as he found himself bandaged and fed, mostly due to the new location he found himself in. It was terribly interesting to see spirit balls floating about and different kinds of heartless lurking in the shadows. In fact, the entire 'catacombs of the death' was more than enough to keep him awake and following in Sephiroth's wake, even if he wanted nothing more than to wander off and explore.

The rubbing bandages over his skin reminded him of what wandering off had done for him, and he was more diligent about staying close to Sephiroth, only allowing his eyes to wander. The mists around his legs was cool and dodging around the stone walls when passages separated into two or even three was interesting, except he always followed Sephiroth even if he initially took a wrong entrance. Sephiroth always waited for him and tended to set a hand to his head or bandaged neck when he returned and led him further into the 'Underworld'.

Cloud soon enough found himself before massive doors, which Sephiroth simply pushed open without knocking and walked inside. He hesitated before following, keeping himself behind Sephiroth as he found himself coming face to face with a strange creature that appeared to be having a temper tantrum and blasting two little demons across the room.

He had never seen flaming hair before, and the bulging yellowed eyes did not strike him as a healthy feature to have on anyone. The black robe indicated to him that this was the person that he and Sephiroth were here to see, Hades he had been informed before they have even stepped into the Realm of the Dead. The 'god' was easily as tall as Sephiroth but looked rather pathetic in musculature when compared to the older man, and Cloud felt safer behind Sephiroth than he would behind that one.

"Hades," Sephiroth said, getting the god's attention easily. He watched the god look very displeased at the intrusion but somehow managed a toothy grin at them. He blinked when a contract appeared in the Hades' hand in a puff of green smoke, and he found himself terribly amused with the show, edging out from behind Sephiroth. "No contracts. You owe me a favour, and I have come to collect it."

"Well now… I see that stick up your backside hasn't gone anywhere but further up to annoy you, butt-wings." The dryness in that voice along with the expression brought a bit of a smile to his face, though he did not understand that name that Sephiroth was called. "Now what would a little mortal like you want… hello, what is that?"

"This is Cloud. He's my hatchling, and you will…"

Cloud blinked when the god suddenly appeared next to him, and he was swept up into an instant tight hug, not at all understanding. Sephiroth was the only one that touched him and even went as far as petting his hair in the manner it was now being petted. "Oh, oh my! He's so cute! Look at this spikey pin-head! And the wing… well, I see he gets something from you at least, but let's hope for all our sakes he has more personality than you, which you know, is not difficult."

"Unhand him, Hades. He is injured," Sephiroth said sharply, pulling him from Hades' grasp protectively. He noted the glaring contest between the two and stepped behind Sephiroth again when the older man urged him there. "I will put this simply; I want use of your Coliseum."

Hades did not seem surprised with the request but the mocking laughter wasn't as harsh as when Sephiroth laughed in the same way. It was almost as if the god was just caught up in a big joke all the time. "MY Coliseum, you do so flatter me… which is good! I should be flattered, since I am the best thing to ever exist." There were several wild hand gestures that made Cloud dizzy watching. "But I'm afraid the Coliseum is my big bad brother's territory…"

"Not that Coliseum," Sephiroth said sharply again. Cloud could not tell why Sephiroth constantly cut Hades off, but the older man was certainly closed off completely even from him. "I want to use your Coliseum down the Underworld. The Olympic Coliseum is for those who want to lose or play with petty heartless, both of which I am not interested in."

"Oh ho ho, you want to **kill**, do you? I suppose that is all your personality allows you to do… and how are those butt-wings of yours?" Cloud had never seen Sephiroth glare like that before, but he was certain that if the older man was not here for that favour, Hades would be looking down the Masamune. "Oh right, touchy subject… all those feather bunging you up. No wonder that stick hasn't moved in a hundred years…"

Cloud looked around the room instead of the heated glare that Sephiroth was giving. It was a bare throne room if he ever saw one, just a pool in the middle of the room and a boring old dusty throne with strange spiky bits over the top of it. Perhaps this place wasn't quite as interesting as he had first thought.

"So uh… tell me, how old is your little runt? He's not very talkative, though you sure did a hell of a job beating the snot out of him." Hades did not appear to know when to stop tormenting Sephiroth.

He heard Sephiroth sigh heavily, in that way that often later came with a headache. "He is old enough, that is all you need to know."

Hades suddenly appeared in front of him again, leaning down to stare him in the face. He hissed loudly and pressed his side against Sephiroth's back, showing sharp incisors threateningly. He let out an indignant noise when a pacifier was suddenly thrust into his mouth, choking him enough to force his mouth closed over the object, looking to Sephiroth while gripping the plastic object in his teeth, looking all too much like a baby all over again.

"You know… for a baby, he's rather… old."

"He hatched this physical age," Sephiroth replied and took the pacifier from his mouth and tossed it aside. "He will remain looking like this for his entire life, but I assure you that he's simply a child."

"Funny… I could say the same thing about you, butt-wings," Hades said simply, which managed to get another glare. It seemed that Hades was not interested in the glares and eyeing him with a strange calculating emotion in the rather puffy eyes. "Does he like candy?"

Sephiroth made an exasperated noise. "I would forbade you from giving him candy, but then I know you will do it just to spite me."

That managed to get a grin for Hades. "Wow, you catch on quick. Nothing gets by you in your old age and wisdom… so, what were you here for again?"

"Your Coliseum. I need to train Cloud to fight with a weapon," Sephiroth said with that voice that meant the older man was annoyed.

"So… strawberry shortcake here is going to be a warrior, is he?" Hades went back to eyeing him with a renewed interest, tapping fingers together. "He going to be as strong as you?"

Cloud noted that Sephiroth went back to being completely guarded again and even reached out to pull him closer. It was terribly rare for Sephiroth to be openly protective of him unless there was an active danger looking to cause him injury. "He will be strong, perhaps even my equal… you are not to touch him."

Hades seemed pleased and even chuckled softly while staring at him. "No, no, I would never make a child my toy to get rid of the annoyance of my realm…" There was that scheming look again. "I'll baby-sit him anytime you want to get away from the squirt."

"No."

"No?"

"No," Sephiroth pulled him closer and set a cool look on Hades. "If you will not help me use a Coliseum, I have no use for you."

"I'm wounded you think so little of me, butt-wings. You just want to use me and toss me aside! Oh, I should cry, blah blah blah… look, I can get you a Coliseum, but it can't be mine. Zeus would crap a meteor and deflower a few more virgins if I let you have use of my little baby," Hades waved hands in the air again, as if the gestures would help him think. He was surprised Hades had not injured anyone with those gestures. "BUT, because I like you so much, I can wrangle you a good deal and get you into the Ol-limp-dicks Coliseum. You just have to watch out for Zeus and the half-blood son of his, Jerk-u-lese."

Cloud looked between Sephiroth and Hades, trying to determine if the two were actually getting along now. Sephiroth was no longer glaring or holding him close, and Hades was watching him and offering some wrapped up sweet. He carefully took the sweet and looked to Sephiroth for approval before slowly unwrapping the brown toffee treat and eyeing it suspiciously.

"…You've deprived this kid, butt-wings. He doesn't even know what candy is," Hades remarked dryly and gave Sephiroth a disproving look. "Some parent you are."

Cloud put the treat in his mouth carefully, liking the sweet taste and put the rest in his mouth before looking back at Sephiroth standing stiffly watching him. "I am his guardian, not his parent. We share only the darkness of our race."

"If this is going to turn into a self-righteous speech about your greatness, you can just stop right there. Only I'm allowed to make those, since I'm much more important than you, butt-wings." Hades was saying this at the same time as offering him more wrapped sweets. He took a few more and offered one up to Sephiroth. "Don't give him one, squirt… the sugar could melt his frigidness and instate a real personality. Then you would be an orphan… hey, that could fall in my favour. Go on, give him lots of candy!"

Sephiroth did not look impressed and casually pushed down the offered candy without even passing a glance to him. "I need a room in the Coliseum as well. Cloud is still too young to go without sleep when combined with large amounts of exercise."

"Yeah, yeah, as long as I get to baby-sit the little squirt…"

"I will consider it," Sephiroth replied and gave him a look that clearly stated that the older man would sooner leave him in the hands of heartless than Hades. "For now, we will take our leave and go to the Olympic Coliseum."

Cloud followed instantly when Sephiroth turned away and started to leave, blinking when he as caught by the arm. He growled a warning at Hades for touching him, but he became distracted when he was handed more candy, some of it even somehow getting in his pockets. "Give him lots of candy…"

"Cloud, come along," Sephiroth called, giving Hades another dangerous look.

He slipped from Hades' grip and trotted over to the older man, following behind Sephiroth out of the throne room, though he did wave when Hades did to him. He again trailed after Sephiroth along the same path that they had taken before, more interested in the candy that filled his pockets than the actual walk itself. The candy was sweet, and each one was different from the other.

He blinked when he ran into Sephiroth's back quite unexpectantly, opening his mouth to protest when one of the little candies was stolen and tossed away. He nearly went after the piece, but Sephiroth grabbed his arm and lead him away from the area without a word of explanation except, "never trust Hades." He was forced to stop playing with the sweets to follow along, which was obviously Sephiroth's intention in the first place.

The trip up to the surface was strangely tiring on him, and he fell behind on several occasions. He could tell that Sephiroth was considering carrying him, but he sidestepped the attempt and continued trudging along on his own. He was simply relieved when the door out became close enough and slipped out before Sephiroth who seemed to be calmer as they left the Underworld.

He fell back in behind Sephiroth and followed the older man up the stairs to the sunny sand-swept Coliseum that he had first been shown upon being taken to this world. His wounds had been bandaged here, and he trotted after Sephiroth when the older man began to move towards the door but took a different route to avoid detection from anyone in the lobby.

"You must be tired," Sephiroth said absently as they walked. He had not mentioned his state of tiredness, so he still remained silent as they walked along the underground halls. "You can sleep when we get to the room that will be used for the duration of our stay."

"…we have a room?"

Sephiroth simply smirked mysteriously at him and pushed open a door on the left with ease and allowed him inside. He followed and walked over to the bed, which was little more than a sheet tossed over some hay, seating himself down on it carefully. It was comfortable enough if he had to sleep here, and he was probably too tired to notice any discomfort that it might provide until the morning.

He was distracted when Sephiroth walked passed him to an old wooden closet, tilting his head to the side when the doors creaked as they were pulled open. He spotted several weapons contained within, mostly long thin wooden swords for practice, but he watched as Sephiroth pulled from the very back a sword covered in a white sheet and presented to him.

The sheet was pulled back to reveal a massive blade nearly as tall and wide as himself, certainly heavy enough to crush if dropped. Despite the size, the sword was well constructed with an extremely sharp edge and thick blunt edge that tapered moving to the point. He was not yet allowed to hold the blade because of his wounded shoulder, but he traced his fingers over the cold metal and glanced up questionably at Sephiroth.

"Your weapon," Sephiroth said simply, adding, "my gift to you."

"Gift?" Cloud stared up at Sephiroth, noting the sudden discomfort that fell between them. He had never received a gift before, not even knowing what one was for. "What is gift?"

Sephiroth did not want to answer, that much became obvious with the long silence and the lowering of the blade so it rested against the floor. He almost thought that the older man would not answer him at all, but Sephiroth came to sit beside him and they both stare at the sword. "It is… something that is presented to another person without the expectation that something will be given in return. It shows appreciation or fondness."

Cloud gave Sephiroth a confused looked, glancing between the older man and the sword, still not entirely understanding this act of 'gift'. It seemed simple enough, but he had never received any form of gift before so even the simplicity confused him. "I do not…"

"Years ago, you were hatched from an egg to me. I was the last of my race, and even upon seeing you, I doubted you would survive your first year," Sephiroth said in a foreign softness. "Most hatchlings never survived the first year as our race lost power and was eclipsed by the heartless, a strain of darkness which does not live but nor does it die. Whereas we are created from the fusing of magic and darkness, heartless stem from the hearts themselves… even our hearts."

Cloud stared at Sephiroth for a long while, noting the older man refused to meet his gaze. He eventually looked down at the sword lying on the floor, studying it. The tales Sephiroth had told him as an infant were very different from this one, but he knew that it was more truth than any other tale told to him about his race. "What happened to them?"

Sephiroth snarled softly but reached out and snaked an arm around his head and pulled him in again. "Fools looking too far beyond what they were meant to know. The nodes of magic in our world shifted away, as they sometimes do… but ours was a powerful node which produced many healthy children. We named our node because it had been so permanent on our world… Kingdom Hearts. When it moved, there was enough residue magic to continue to produce more eggs but… it faded too quickly, the children changed because the magic was too weak and the darkness took over.

"The first heartless was one of our own, and its taint spread to the other newborns less than a year old. Most were destroyed as they turned, but some of their guardians took the death badly. They began to test the limits of their own powers to create another egg by supplementing their own power instead of relying on the node."

Cloud pursed his lips together and leaned himself up against Sephiroth's shoulder, watching as the older man glanced to him. He tried not to look childish, but he saw Sephiroth's eyes soften slightly before looking away. "Did they kill themselves by expending too much energy?"

"Worse… they became what took their children. They were devastating, wielding darkness that outmatched anything we had been previously. They were called the Guardians, mutated and heartless creatures that preyed on their own race." There was a pause and Cloud instinctively lay his cheek against Sephiroth's shoulder, a rare show of tenderness between them. "The war that followed was brutal and killed many on both sides until the Guardians eventually lost.

"I left before the end came, but I knew when I became the last. My assigned job was simple… hunt down any stray Guardians and kill them." Sephiroth gave a casual shrug and pulled away from him, increasing the distance to what was normal unless they were battling. "I eventually found the Kingdom Hearts node again on Hollow Bastion in my travels of the universe." There was a glance in his direction. "When the urge came to me, I returned there to the node and… well, you came to be."

Cloud remained silent, staring at the sword and wondering at its meaning in this story. It was obviously part of it, but he doubted that Sephiroth was in the mood to divulge that information to him at the moment. He looked to Sephiroth again and asked quietly, "why did you only create me?"

Sephiroth looked at him as if he had just grown a third head and waved a dismissive hand at him. "Kingdom Hearts moved on after the release of the heartless there, and you were bearly a few months old. Besides… the urge subsided when you came, and I doubt it will come about again." He noted the several lazy glances in his direction. "Additionally, I did not know if you would survive the first year or turn into a heartless… I did not want to take chances, especially with your taint."

Looking at his carefully bandaged wing and clawed hand, Cloud slowly nodded his head in understanding. "And this gift?"

"It is yours to learn with, the blade of an old warrior," Sephiroth said dismissively, still not willing to tell him of the true meaning of the blade. "But… you will play with the blade when you are healed. For now, you should get some rest. We have long days ahead of us as your training begins, and you become as glorious as those who came before you."

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

**Author's Notes:**

The longest chapter as of yet, seriously. 11,000 words in this one. It would have been shorter, but the whole background given by Sephiroth with the sword gift came right out of the blue. I must say, 'damn, I'm good' because that so made much sense to me… I love plotting the origin of the Heartless. And yes, the "Guardian" term came from the demon looking nasty that Ansem had on the beach battle which was often talked about as "Come Guardian" by Ansem in the final battle in KH1. That's actually where the idea came from when Sephiroth started talking.

So… I seemed to get a lot of response for the SephxCloud pairing, going from "OMG squee, bed-bunnies plz" to "We are latching to you for your yaoi writing". That so amused me, mostly because so many people do actually read my author's notes. I ask a question, and it seems to be answered in reviews… so because this fic isn't long enough, the author's notes will be:

**Jenniyah:** You rock! And yes, if there is a pairing in this one, a lemon will be written and most likely hosted in my LJ, so you can be the first to read.

**c-loke:** Thanks for the review and the 100 pleading for the pairing. It's leaning towards actually happening, actually. I have spots laid out in the upcoming chapters where they might knock boots.

**Dragontia:** OMG, yay for bed-bunnies being Seph and Cloud! And seriously, I think of Sephiroth has a hair Gollum every time I write him saying or thinking, 'precious' now. Damn you for your infectious image!

**RekaiMiko: **Thank you for the review, and the vote of confidence on my ficcie. I hope I delivered more fluff to your liking!

**Nemesis Jedi:** Your long reviews are something I look forward to. They are awesome, and feel free to leave me as long of reviews as you want. I'm always interested in what you have to say, and thank you for taking the time to make suggestions. I'm always looking to improve my ideas and writing. As it is, I am considering Cloud's teenager years with a bit of a twist, thanks to you! Fire away with any suggestions or comments that you might have!

**ScarlettHuntress:** I'm glad that I managed to hook you on my story. This idea was very different, and I wasn't sure if it would actually go anywhere, but it has. I'm enjoying writing it. I hope this chapter kept your interest just as much as the other ones did!

I actually have the plot figured out from here, so yay! I will hopefully have another moment of large inspiration to write the next chapter quickly. I guess I will have to see, since I seem to have a bit more trouble writing long chapters for Sephiroth than Cloud. Oh well… it will be done!


	6. Chapter 6: Adolescence Part 1

**Killer Instinct – Chapter 6 Adolescence**

By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Gardening had always been her gift, the one thing that she was certain of in her life. It calmed her and reminded her of the simple aspects of life that were the most important, keeping her focused on goals that still seemed so far out of reach. The simplicity of working the earth and tending to the small lives of plants was something that she always thought that she would continue to love until her dying day.

Lifting her head, Aerith glanced over to where her friend was reading a book on some new form of martial arts. She had to smile at the sight, mostly because Tifa had never really particularly showed an interest in gardening but sometimes forced some dirt around in an attempt to be helpful when they were younger. Now her friend simply practiced martial arts or read books instead of getting frustrated with the long period of time that she could garden.

"Is the book good, Tifa?" Fighting was not her forte, but she had to ask anyway.

Tifa took a moment to regard her, but the excited smile was enough to give Aerith an answer. Tifa had always worn her emotions close to the surface. "I cannot believe that it took me so long to find this one! It has so many techniques close to my style!"

"So now we have to listen to you practicing until ever hour of the night then?"

Aerith turned her head to regard the approach of Leon from the First District, a smile lighting both hers and Tifa's faces at the sight of him. While somber at the best and worst of times, Leon was a mystery that they all wanted to crack in some way but also a steady level head in every situation. He always knew where to find them as she and Tifa were almost always together or knew where the other was, but their company was often less annoying as Yuffie's as he would put to them in that annoyed voice of his.

She pushed herself back to sit on her haunches, shaking her head so that brown hair slipped back to allow her to properly see him. He was holding something in his hand, which made her dust her hands together at the same time that Tifa snapped the book closed. She stood up and Tifa stepped forward in perfect unison, which obviously disturbed Leon somewhat as he stared at them before bothering to approach further.

"What news, Leon," Tifa asked. There was impatience to Tifa's voice, but then, Tifa was always impatient when not following clues of her own.

"Not much except that tracking the Coliseum contestants has shown nothing in the way of the Keyblade master. Either there isn't a fighter good enough to wield it, or they are keeping a low profile," Leon stated coolly. That, of course, didn't explain what was in the box, but everyone was willing to wait for Leon to come around to give that detail.

Tifa gave a heave of her shoulders. "Or maybe, the Keyblade master isn't even on that world."

"But even you admit that it is one of the most likely places for him or her to be," Leon replied, which seemed to deflate Tifa's argument for the moment. "Hercules and Zeus don't seem concerned with anything but running the games at this point, and it seems to me that they are shifting some of the organizational duties to Hades."

Aerith had to laugh behind her hand, watching Leon as he stared back at her. "Leon… do tell who your mole is?"

Leon refused to say anything at all and instead glanced down at the box in hand. "It doesn't matter, but the information is as close to correct as we can hope. It seems to fit why Tifa noticed an increased amount of heartless being introduced to combat contestants, since we all know that Hades is involved in that."

"But no Keyblade master to destroy them," Tifa offered with a sullen look. Heartless had stolen their homeland, and it still settled heavily on Tifa's shoulders.

Leon softly hummed for a moment and then shook his head. "Not that it actually matters, but the heartless are being decimated by one of the contestants. No one ever sees the guy, but apparently he has enough power to destroy heartless for good."

Aerith looked perturbed by this news, the same look crossing Tifa's face a moment after her. A man who was not the keyblade master destroying heartless? She had always thought such things could never be possible as it had been foretold that only the Keyblade could destroy the heartless. She had to wonder just what this man was to hold such power… perhaps a god?

Tifa managed to beat her to questioning further anyway. "How is that possible? We've all read the same research on the heartless which states that the Keyblade master can kill the heartless, while mortals like us can only subdue them long enough to make a retreat."

Leon just shrugged. "If I knew more, I would tell you more. This guy can take out heartless, and no one has seen him enough except possibly Hades but… like he would ever kiss and tell."

"Perhaps we should send someone to the Coliseum to see if they can catch a glimpse of this man. He would be a valuable ally for our fight to retake Hollow Bastion!" Tifa clenched her fists in that way which let Aerith know that her friend planned on going there herself.

Aerith remained silent along with Leon and Tifa, all of them wanting badly to see their world again which had been taken so long ago. It had not helped that they had left the world together and only ended up on Traverse Town eight years ago after some planetary jumping around. It was as close to home as they all could have hoped for, but no one really thought of it as home as much as their Hollow Bastion.

She sighed heavily and looked to Tifa, giving her friend a sympathetic look before calmly saying, "we cannot simply use this man for our own selfish goals either, Tifa. We may want Hollow Bastion free, but we will be no better off if we use him and he turns against us. Perhaps if we talk to him, we can find out how he feels about the heartless and work together to find the Keyblade master and free many worlds."

"Hate to say it, but it would probably work out best in our favour if he lost his world to the heartless as well. He could have a chip on his shoulder about it," Leon said while crossing his arms and tapping a foot in thought.

Tifa simply smiled and gave Aerith a knowing look, which made them both giggle at the same time. Leon did not look impressed with their knowing looks and how they just seemed to know what the other was thinking. "Just like Squall has a chip on his shoulder…?"

"That's Leon," he immediately snapped back.

Aerith laughed softly and gave Tifa a gentle push to the shoulder. "Don't make fun of him, Tifa. His name change is a very important matter to him."

Leon seemed to sense that he was somehow at the butt of some silent joke and managed to glower at them both. "Whatever," he said.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Sephiroth couldn't help but nod his head in appreciation at the improvement which Cloud had displayed in the last year. The gift broad blade that he had given was a perfect weapon for Cloud's less-refined style, the blonde relying on brute strength to cut through defenses and hand out nothing but killing blows. The large weapon also concealed a lot of Cloud's speed, which, deep into adolescence, matched his own if Cloud pushed the limitations.

He tapped fingers against his bicep as he stood watch over Cloud's practice, his cat-eyes seeing through the pitch darkness into the sandy Coliseum. He was more than pleased with how Cloud had matured, sliding gently into a dark calmness that was more reserved than vicious. The undaunted need to maul him had subsided as Cloud's energies focused more towards enemies and training, only sparring matches truly showing just what his precious could do.

While he had never lost to Cloud, he had gradually been pushed to using more of his skills until the blonde had become an honest challenge for him. His years of experience served him to come out victorious in the end, but Cloud had taught him greatly about some of the weakness in his technique that had never shown up against lesser foes. The improvements to himself had held back the need to slaughter and feel the kill again, as he could focus his own mind on reform his skills to better perfection.

His hatchling had become the embodiment of pride of his people in just a short matter of years. Those years had, of course, involved harsh and rigorous training under his guidance. Cloud would make a deadly impact on any civilization that they set foot on, and, watching Cloud now, he wanted to see how those skills tore apart flesh instead of heartless.

The one time he had managed to arrange a battle with a hero thanks to Hades – under the stipulation that Hades watch the battle – Cloud had proven to be a calculating creature in the heat of battle. The 'hero' had lasted two rounds of armed combat before Cloud stopped holding back and ended the second round with decapitation, which had not only delighted him but Hades as well.

Yet, the entire aspect of the battle which had pleased him came right at the end. There had been a smirk, cool and arrogant on Cloud's lips just before the final strike, an expression which often matched his own at times when he was delighted in the act of killing. He had never thought that Cloud, with a matured refined cool silence, would be able to enjoy the kill as much as when the blonde was still just a baby or child. With the appearance of that simple upturn of the lips, he felt all the more connected to his hatchling. Their darkness was the same in that moment.

If he had been less dedicated to watching Cloud, he surely would have wandered the road of memories back to his old days of learning the ways of the blade. He was thankful those days were long over with, and he was blessed with skills that had been honed on enemies that had further developed his abilities. Having never faced defeat without intentionally meaning to, he allowed his arrogance to show even to Cloud who never seemed all that impressed.

Cloud was actually not impressed by much, he found. The blonde was more interested in self-betterment, and his precious had failed to develop the same streak of arrogance as he had. It was probably for the best as two arrogance souls living in the same quarters would easily lead to conflicts. He was much more contented to simply get along with Cloud, even if he found the growing lack of connection a disturbing feature that had been setting in over the last years.

Sephiroth snorted softly and folded his arms more tightly against his chest. He personally thought that Cloud had simply hit the moody adolescent state and was trying to strike out to find some sort of placement in the world. Somehow, that was important to Cloud. He had not hindered that progress, but it never seemed that Cloud actually found a place in the Coliseum and was becoming restless again as the blonde had on Hollow Bastion. If a place was so important, he was certain he could help out.

Stepping from the stone steps to the sandy ground, he approached Cloud resonating his power, so the blonde knew he was coming. He only kept silent if he wished to attack the blonde, and Cloud accepted his approach with a simple shift of blue eyes in the massive blade that Cloud had been looking into.

"These battles and endless practice lesson grow dull, wouldn't you say," he asked as he stopped by Cloud's side.

Cloud's attention simply shifted away from him as a silent answer, gazing back to the blade as if the metal held answers. It was a common response, despite the fact that Cloud had become less resistant to speaking to him. His precious merely spoke when the blonde deemed the question worthy of a verbal answer, but he was often left to simply read Cloud's body language and nothing more.

Slipping around, Sephiroth was pleased with the muscles along Cloud's shoulders tightened as his hand settled on the spot between the blonde's shoulder blades. He leaned over, his extra height making it easy to simply lean over Cloud's shoulder to also stare into the blade which the blonde held. "Tedious and without thrill, Cloud… let me show you something far more pleasant."

"I am still practicing," Cloud replied soberly, the briefest flick of blue eyes in his direction letting him know that the hand on the blonde's back was not appreciated. "If you are bored, I will remain here to finish and do not require your help."

"So moody," Sephiroth gently asserted, which managed to get a small downturn of the blonde's eyebrows. He simply lifted a hand and petted Cloud's head in a patronizing manner. "Perhaps my little one needs a nap?"

He was pleased when a full-out dark glare was shot towards him, and he chuckled softly at Cloud's sensitivity to being referred to as a child now. Still in that confused state between childhood and manhood, his little precious was definitely leaning towards wanting to be something larger than was possible at Cloud's current time. He also admitted that it was enjoyable to needle the blonde to get reactions that he wanted.

Cloud obviously decided that answering would not be in anyone's best interests, and it only made him chuckle louder. His hand dropped from petting Cloud's blonde hair down to rubbing the muscles that surrounded the dark wing attached to Cloud's shoulder. He felt the blonde stiffen a moment before surrendering and raising a shoulder towards the contact.

Sephiroth could only smirk as Cloud's dark mood subsided with such a simple touch, his fingers rubbing at the base of the wing before rising to stroke the main muscles of the wing itself. It was probably one of the only touches that Cloud showed a reaction to nowadays, aside from pain but even that had dulled in expression. He was pleased as the method of getting positive attention from the blonde worked yet again, his smirk only growing as the demonic wing slowly extended and quivered as his fingers continued to massage the often too tense muscles.

"Someone is in a better mood already," he remarked with a hint of arrogance.

"Hmpt," was the only reply that Cloud chose to grace him with. The blonde was such a moody adolescent to deal with, but it was probably simply due to the fact he had disturbed his precious' training time.

Sephiroth finally withdrew his hand when it appeared that he was going to put Cloud to sleep while the blonde still stood. He instead crossed his arms over his chest and regarded Cloud as his precious seemed ruffled by the now lacking contact and offered him a dismissive glare. He was unfazed by the expression and simply began to walk around the blonde instead, his own feathered wing extending to brush against Cloud's bare arm.

"I have been thinking…"

"How divine," Cloud managed to break in with.

"My, my, is someone attempting to childishly insult me? And here I thought that my little one had grown up enough to move passed such simple mannerisms. Though…" Sephiroth paused both in speech and walking to regard Cloud out of the corner of his eye. "I suppose I should be proud of you for speaking, and your childish obstinacy just goes to show that my precious hatchling is starting growing up."

He could not help feeling amused over the fact that Cloud bristled visibly, huffing at him. It looked terribly childish despite Cloud's attempts to make it seem like something completely different. He decided not to press his advantage in case he wound Cloud's already hurting pride.

Turning to face Cloud again, Sephiroth walked over to stare down into the blonde's face, lifting a hand to trail a finger along the curve of Cloud's jaw. "As I was saying, I have been thinking that these lessons are terribly boring and are getting to the point of not being worth your skills. You only seem to advance yourself when we spar together, but that is hardly any type of real life experience for you to build on." He smirked and caught Cloud's chin, turning the blonde's face from side to side. "You cannot beat me, Cloud."

Cloud tensed under his touch, and he was able to tell that the grip on the large blade tightened just by the sudden curl of Cloud's wing closer to the blonde's shoulder. He could only chuckle softly, not caring if he had insulted the blonde again. It was something that Cloud really should have been used to by now, especially given the rate that they sparred each other.

"I will defeat you…"

"Yes, yes, so you keep telling me," Sephiroth replied in a patronizing manner, patting Cloud on the top of the head as an adult would a child. He smirked when Cloud just bristled again, able to pick out the frustration from the blonde over the lack of victory during their spars. He was simply too skilled for Cloud to handle. "But until you can step up your winning productively, I propose a little… adventure."

Cloud watched him suspiciously, not sure what to make of the sudden dark purr in his voice. He could tell that the blonde was mulling over whether or not to take his bait and question, and he was terribly proud of how suspicious Cloud could be around him. If only it would carry over to someone like Hades, who really deserved it.

"What… kind of adventure?" Cloud stared at him, trying to figure out just what he had in mind before he spoke.

Sephiroth looked around the arena to make sure that there were no agents of Hades or even Zeus hanging around listening in. He then leaned forward and caught Cloud up behind the blonde's head, pulling Cloud in close to him so he could whisper, "a slaughter."

His mood had been once again craving an adventure that would both bring back all the fond memories that he had been missing over the years since Cloud came into his life and give Cloud valuable experience on other worlds. It was rare that he would bother to give into the moods, but he knew that Cloud was ready to learn this new lesson that he could teach. The experience would do them both a world of good, and he was certain that the darkness within them both could use some time out again.

Cloud shifted under his grip. He could see the blonde's face out of the corner of his eye, and he sensed Cloud's indecision on the option. Perhaps his little one remembered too well that last shift of worlds so long ago before Cloud had been ready for such an adventure? That lesson had been a hard one, but it had also provided a shift of Cloud towards the dark, allowing the blonde to realize that worlds were almost never friendly to those that were different. It just so happened that that particular world had been an extreme case, but it was probably a difficult memory to moved passed and one that had driven Cloud to accomplish so much in training.

"Let me show you the most beautiful sight of all, my precious," Sephiroth whispered, stepping closer when Cloud tried to withdraw, his grip tightening. "The smell of blood in the air, the feel of it on your hands, the sight of crimson staining your flesh… you won't regret this. It is what you are meant to become… let your darkness reign with mine, and I will show you the wonders of a massacre."

He smirked darkly when Cloud settled in his grip, and he even felt the warmth of Cloud's breath against his neck as the blonde watched him in return. "Heartless…?"

Sephiroth barked out a sharp laugh and tangled his fingers into the hair at the base of Cloud's neck, amused by the automatic thought that they would be hunting heartless. "Your skills outmatch heartless now, Cloud. No… it is time that you face the unpredictable sense of battle of mortals. They squirm much better than any heartless could…"

Cloud responded with a soft hiss of approval. It would be the first time that he had actually shown the blonde a living, breathing mortal, but he had made sure to tell many stories about them when Cloud had been younger. Perhaps those stories had dazzled the blonde into letting imagination weave together adventures already, or more likely, his precious simply wished to see what a mortal was like.

He pulled himself back, eyeing the blonde casually before withdrawing his touch completely. "But, if I am to take you anywhere, you will have to get out of those sweaty Coliseum clothes," he remarked in distaste. He had no idea why Cloud chose to wear clothing fitting of the Greek look, and, while Cloud did have fine legs, the look just did not suit his little one at all.

He found Cloud regarding him in an equally distasteful manner, as if his request had somehow inconvenienced the blonde. He raised an eyebrow and pointed in the direction of their room, issuing his own silent order that they would go no where if Cloud did not agree to his terms.

Sephiroth found himself smirking when Cloud threw him a hard glare before stalking off. He casually followed along, giving the blonde time to hopefully get the changing process underway. It also allowed him to watch for any scouts of Hades trying to listen in to any conversations that they had together; he was acutely aware of Hades' want to have Cloud fight against Hercules. The less that Hades knew about himself and Cloud, the better for everyone involved.

It did not help that he knew Cloud would silently humour the god if Hades cornered the blonde. There certainly was not enough suspicion in his mind when it came to Cloud, and it seemed the blonde trusted Hades more than him, which struck him as odd. He understood though, given that all meetings with Hades involved him getting insulted and Cloud getting bribed with candy. Thankfully, Hades had not been able to meet with Cloud alone, or he had a distinct bad feeling for the outcome.

Rounding the corner, Sephiroth let out a soft growl as he spotted two of Hades' minions pathetically lurking the halls. He recognized Pain and Panic just by the manner the two skulked while not even in shadows, and he rolled his eyes as he casually stomped a foot to draw attention to himself. He offered a glare soon after.

It took all of two seconds for the pair to start to cower and finally flee the area back towards the Underworld. He had to wonder where Hades had dug up those two, let alone thought that the little pests could be any use at all. They seemed to get themselves into more trouble with their incompetence, which also probably explained a large reason why Hades was so interested in Cloud who glimmered with potential and naivete.

Slipping into their shared room, Sephiroth walked across the floor leisurely until he stood by the bed. He slipped a foot under the bed to catch on a box that had been hidden underneath and casually jerked it halfway out, ignoring Cloud's stare. He pushed the large box out the rest of the way and kicked it over to where Cloud stood before seating himself down on the edge of the bed.

"You will wear that from now on," he commented in all casualness yet his tone was anything but. He would make Cloud obey if he had to. "That outfit will be much more better suited to your frame and fighting style."

He watched as Cloud slowly pulled the lid from the box and investigated the items that had been chosen. While the blonde said nothing, he could tell Cloud acknowledged the day just as well as he did. He had given Cloud all of seven gifts in the blonde's life, one every year on the same day.

He never openly acknowledged the gift giving as a representation of his appreciation of Cloud's hatching day, but he knew it that the blonde was smart enough to read him. He also refused any acknowledgement of the fact that his gift giving was similar to a mortal tradition, as Cloud was not in need of such knowledge being so young still.

He had seen it done and thought nothing of it until Cloud had come along and survived the initial hard years of life. Mortals were disgusting foolish creatures as it was, but somehow, the idea had taken with him and stayed in the back of his mind. It had only fully rooted itself after he had nearly lost Cloud, a strange over-protectiveness helping the symbolic giving to come into being. Perhaps it had simply been the fact that, in nearly losing Cloud, he was forced to remember that the blonde was the last born child of his race and the last chance for it to come back… that was, if Cloud was strong enough to succeed in an egg creation of the blonde's own.

Sighing through his nose, Sephiroth watched as Cloud began to dress in the new clothing. He thought he could openly be amused as the blonde struggled with the new amount of straps and belts, but he had injured Cloud's pride only a short time ago. He simply watched as the outfit he had forced someone to make – with a threat to life, love and family of course – for his precious came together in a complete outfit.

Dark colours were Cloud's style, much like his own. The blonde looked to have filled out more in the tight navy ribbed sweater and baggy pants, even if the spaulder was not strapped on correctly. He assisted in settling it comfortably and organizing the many belts that and leather armour that protected the blonde's heart from attack. He was pleased with the spiny rib guard as it was attached, protecting the blonde's leading leg from a side attack but failed to impede his precious' movements. The gloves and black cloth bracers did well to add a completed tag to the blonde's appearance.

He walked around Cloud appraising the outfit as it settled nicely on Cloud's muscular frame, reaching out to tickle at the dark wing that was extending to test mobility. He received a swat from the wing and a glare from the blonde for his efforts to annoy Cloud, and he simply slapped a hand on the blonde's spaulder, drawing Cloud back against him.

He forced Cloud over to the mirror and forced his little one to regard the new outfit. Despite Cloud obviously not wishing to show emotion, he could tell that the blonde was pleasantly impressed with the outfit and even shifted in front of mirror to look at all angles.

After the appraising process had obviously been completed, Sephiroth shoved the now empty box back under the bed. He walked to the doorway and waited there for Cloud to gather up any last-minute supplies, even if he found himself impatient watching Cloud move around the room. His fingers flexed in his gloves, the dark thrum of power feeling especially powerful tonight; it would be a good night for a kill.

The same night Cloud took away his freedom so long ago would also be the same night that Cloud would return it to him but at his side killing with him. Not only would this night be remembered as Cloud's birth night to him but also the blonde's ascension into the same class as he considered himself.

It was time to hunt and let the darkness take them over.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Sephiroth turned his head to regard Cloud perched in a crouch next to him, wondering what the blonde was thinking of. He could tell by the soft glow of Cloud's eyes that the blonde was carefully watching the group of mortals on some sort of foolish patrol of some equally silly enemy. Certainly, the first mortals he had shown the blonde were not all that interesting, and it was meant to show Cloud just how weak and attached to order the race of mortals actually was.

Still, he knew that there had to be some sort of childish wonderment attached to this first sighting. He and Cloud did look like them on the outside, but a mortal contained no power to resonate outwards to connect with another being of the same race. No, they had to walk up and make fools of themselves by opening those big mouths and saying utterly stupid things. Even so, mortals were a strange new race that he knew Cloud wanted to at least have some sort of leave for explorations of.

Yet, he also knew that Cloud would not leave his side either. The encounter years before that had nearly taken Cloud's life had driven in a sense of dark weariness in the blonde, and he was certain that Cloud did not wish a repeat any time soon. Cloud was probably content to watch from a distance, but he… was not.

They had come here for a purpose, and that purpose was to taste real power. He had wanted long enough, and his patience had run thin, especially when his prey stood so close to where he knew a simple spell would roast many of them alive. This was as much a learning experience for Cloud as it was a release for himself, and it was time that Cloud learned how to kill without hesitation or resistance.

Sephiroth slipped down from the large tree that they were standing in, his wing balancing him perfectly until his feet came to rest on the soft grass of the courtyard. All around were twelve-foot walls of stone to keep invaders out, but tonight, they would keep the victims in, and the gray stone would be marred with drying crimson if he had his way.

Massive multi-story stone castle stood before him, jutting from the ground in twisting spire like glory, a symbol of mortal-kinds of accomplishments. The stonework would have been impressive in the daylight, but it was shrouded with shadows that the half moon cast down. The four main towers ascending were placed in perfect symmetry so that look-outs to watch in all four directions and spot any large-scaled enemy before any sort of surprise attack could ever be formed.

That aside, main look-outs were placed along the massive stone walls, both to watch over the sleeping town and its folk and to keep a strict guidelines of guards as points of rallying from an attack. Only the strategically placed fire pyres and torches illuminated the grounds and a small fraction of the posted guards. The symbols of the castle fluttered in the southern night breezes, smelling of salt from the sea, but also doing a minor job casting sound over the sound of his own boots as they settled on the grass.

"You there, halt!"

The simple shout alerted and readied more than a few guards from around the walls to take a look. A group of four approached, one in full-plate iron mail while the others were clad in leathers to allow for better mobility. He easily judged which was the most threatening to him, but he decided to stay where he was to amuse the troop with a lazy smirk as he simply settled the Masamune on the ground and leaned on the tall blade.

Sephiroth saw at least two of the four pause at the glint of firelight off of his blade, but he made no move to intimidate them just yet. This was his moment to enjoy the hunt and the kill, and he would have the advantage no matter what numbers were thrown at him. He was simply too good to lose to a bunch of half-trained war-pups from a backwater planet.

He showed no sign of being threatened when shining blades were lifted in his direction, and he could only smirk in amusement as he felt Cloud shift silently in the tree behind him. He tilted his head to the side to catch the pleasant breeze, allowing his long silver hair to blow around about him as he tucked his wing a little more against his shoulder so that it did not stand out so much.

"And what pray tell, can I do you gentlemen for?" His voice was casual and innocent of knowing that he had entered a sanctum of some kind. He was a foreigner after all, and he was merely showing his little hatchling around.

"These grounds are off-limits to commoners, so I will ask that you simply move to the main gate and return to your home for the evening." The leader of the group somehow managed to keep a firm but friendly tone towards him, thinking nothing of his blade other than to glance. "His lordship has passed down word that it is dangerous for even trained men and women to be out when an attack is so eminent. I ask you return to your place of residence."

Sephiroth lifted a hand and pushed back some silver from his eyes. "I refuse," he said simply, and he was pleased that only the armoured man shifted uncomfortably.

"If you refuse, I will be forced to escort you with force if necessary," the pack leader replied, and there was a noticeable hardness in the gruff man's voice.

"You may think you can, but I assure you that the most you four will do is fall to the ground in a heap," Sephiroth drawled in a manner a commander would a troubled troop of green soldiers. "Your skill is nothing but a waste of time for me, and I am here on business anyway."

While the word was only whispered by the gathering of troops around him, Sephiroth knew that they were coming to the assumption that he was an assassin meant to kill their Lord. He would not say that was false, but it was not true either. He was here to kill them all and give Cloud vital life experience on fighting soldiers that would scream and bleed and die.

He could smell traces of fear, and it was then that he realized just how much he truly missed this. The shifting of weight on grass and stone were like music to his acute senses, the rustling of the leaves above along with the crackle of the flames from the pyres a gentle song that he had not heard in a very long time. He could tell just by listening who was breathing faster, who was clenching hands around weapon hilts, and who was uncertain of his skills.

It had been too long since he stood aware of the impending death that would come from his blade. His muscles gently flexed and readied themselves for the exertion that would take place soon, and his black leather outfit fitted more snuggly against his skin as his fingers curled around the hilt of the Masamune. His wing slowly rose and extended at the ready, and it was a feature that caused his blood to pump a little faster as murmurs of confusion began to circulate on just what he was.

"…what devilry are you?"

"The well-bred kind," Sephiroth assured arrogantly and suddenly snapped his fingers loudly.

In that split second, his blade swung up from the ground and arched through the air, whirling around his body expertly as it only met brief resistance as it passed through clothing and flesh in front of him. Before the pack leader had even hit the ground in two equal halves, he had cleaved over to the next one in the group, his hand rising to grab up clothing as he effortlessly lifted the man into the air as he blade swung around for a swift decapitation.

There was a sudden shout of alarm as the world came back to rights and the mortals realized his full intentions. A cacophony of men shifting and metal being torn from armoured sheathed sounded all around him in the moments he allowed them too before he simply raised a hand into the air to drew magical energy around him.

Pillars of flame erupted around him, and he had to close his eyes against the pleasant onslaught of painful screams that was so beautifully paired with sounds and smells associated with being burned to death. He tilted his head back as his silver hair whipped around him and the heat of his magic radiated outwards as men tried to get out of his range and take fallen comrades with them.

He let the flames die away as he opened his eyes to take in his new surroundings, feeling his blood sing in his veins at the piles of chard bodies around him. Masamune sung in his grip as he lifted the blade up and parried a crossbow bolt aimed at him, swiveling around in an elegant circle as the lust for battle consumed him before he could even think about resisting. This was his time now, and these unskilled pups would serve to quench years of pacifism in one single night. Nothing could stop him from letting loose with all of his skills on this night.

Dimly, Sephiroth came aware of shouts of alarm in an area where he was not, and it was only when he heard the very obvious cleave of a large blade through metal and then stone did he come to realize that Cloud was on the move. He did not turn his attention in that direction as several well-armed lancers were approaching him cautiously, but he was more than confident that Cloud would do just fine without his help. Cloud was a teenager, and teenagers wanted to do things alone to prove themselves anyway.

His blade flicked in the air, spattering drying blood on his approaching foe, and the look of shock and anger drew a predatory smirk to his lips. He beckoned one of the lancers in to face him, lifting his blade in his common stance, holding his ground as the lance passed by in front of him to test his defenses. He paid the bluffed attack no mind and held his ground, dropping the Masamune down to parry a thrust and turning the lance aside as he stepped deeper into range and punched the lancer in the face, forcing the man to stumble backwards.

Lifting his blade back to its shoulder-height balance, he watched the lancer take a step in to disarm him. He dropped a hand down and flicked his index finger at the man, a small red bead shooting from his finger until it touched against the leather jerkin of the lancer and simply exploded in flames, catching many of the watching guards in the large radius fireball.

Sephiroth dipped the blade of the Masamune down as he strode forward through the magical flames of fire, eyes keen on a youth standing around looking terrified. His wing rose from his shoulder to brush aside flames that licked at his leather jacket, and his smirk grew when his eyes met that of the youth. He could see the fear there, and soon enough, he could smell it, almost taste it.

His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword as he suddenly raised it quickly, driving the long sharp blade through the youth's chest until they were standing within inches of each other. He leaned in and reveled in the shocked expression, lifting his other hand to flick the youth's uniform cap off to fall to the scorched ground. "A good soldier would have lifted his weapon to defend."

The youth's mouth opened and closed like a fish trying to draw in air despite the impossibility. There were words for him, but he knew that he would never actually hear them with the way the colour was draining from the youth's face.

"Too bad you will die knowing that you made a mistake, hmm? That must be a cruel thing to know as your last thought," Sephiroth said simply as he drew himself back and smirked cruelly. "So innocent… and so useless. You are not worth the uniform you have on your back." He cut off any words the youth might have said by lifting and flicking his sword off to the side, hearing the wet slide of a body being thrown from his blade into one of the madly burning torches.

He moved on without a thought of regret; he was unable to feel it anyway. Regret was for mortals to feel.

Soon enough, he had the courtyard empty of life, and he had not even started to feel tired from the exertion. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he desired to continue with his slaughter until there was nothing left. The thrill of this sort of unquestionable killing drove him to relish the night sky and how the drying blood felt running down his heated skin. The tension was thick and pushing against his senses, sharpening them as he walked with all confidence towards the barricaded double-doors that would lead to the castle halls.

He stared at them, hearing the soft patter of blood hitting the stone pathway as he walked, and he could hear shouting on the other side of the door. What it was about, he could care less as he closed in on the structure and lifted a hand to settle it against the thick wooden surface, sensing beyond the door the number of life forms which awaited him.

Reaching out his hand, he lazily stroked his fingers down the warm wood surface, feeling the sharp grain even through his gloves. He could hear orders being shouted and drew his hand back so that he could take a step back as he tilted his head to the side, listening and locating the voice giving orders. He shifted the Masamune tip to be aimed at the muffled voice, a smirk growing as he launched forward suddenly, driving his sword through the door with ease.

Cries of surprise greeted his ears before he felt a different kind of weight on his blade, the Masamune singing about the blood it was bathed in. Since the orders had been abruptly cut off, he could safely assume that he had hit his target right, and he simply jerked his blade free. He blew the barricaded door free of its hinges with a wave of his hand and a blast of dark energy, regarding those that stood staring at him.

"You have two options little rats: one, you can stand and fight, or two, you can flee and be hunted down. Take your choice of demise," Sephiroth said as he simply walked into the stone hallway, his blade swinging out to parry an over-head cleave at him, swiveling his sword around to gut the soldier in question before moving to another target.

He was pleased to see that all but one soldier stood their ground and moved to engage him. It was a sign of a fairly good set of training, and even if the commander of the wayward group was dead, they still followed those fading directions. If only their skill matched their level of discipline was all he could think as he cut the batch down much too easily even in the confined space for his blade. Discipline could only get a mortal so far before skill needed to make up for where regiment life ended.

Moving on without a thought, Sephiroth ransacked every room he came across, cutting down anyone that came into his range. The thrill of the slaughter drove him up flights of stairs in chase, switching between his blade and magic for the kill, but the warm wash of blood over his form was such a pleasant sensation that he relished it with the odd shiver and roll of his shoulders. This was completely worth the years that he had been deprived of such action, and this slaughter made him hyper-sensitive to each scream, each shudder of flesh, each eerie silence that fell on a room of dead.

He did not even realize that he was laughing maniacally until he had to stop to teleport through some piled debris. That was when his breathing had started to sound loud to his own ears, the hum of blood running through his veins deafening him from being distracted as he closed in on a young maid. His laughter seemed to be frightening her more than the impeding fall of his blade, and he moved with an inhuman grace to stand over her.

Reaching down slowly, he enjoyed her flinch as she tried to sink down into the wall more than she already was. His fingers circled a pale throat, and he slowly lifted the young woman from the ground so that she was on the same level as he was. His eyes blazed with excitement and magic as his fingers gradually closed tighter around her throat, watching in a sick fascination as she began to struggle, whimper and claw at his gloved hand.

There was a distinct transition from futile to desperate, and her pale skin took on a sudden red appearance then began to shift to blue as his fingers continued to close. He closed his eyes to feel her life force weaken but continue with a desperate struggle to get out of his hold, and he shivered as her whimpers turned into choking noises as she began to flop about in his grasp, unable to escape him.

Her blood rushed under her skin, thrumming against his hands, her body heat increasing dramatically as her body tried to create more energy that might enable her to fight longer. Her skin drew tight over her muscles and bones, straining against his grip as all her instincts screamed for immediate action. He could feel her legs jerk and kick wildly, her form swaying as her hands pulled at his wrist, scratching and slapping hard even as her heart rate began to slow from lack of oxygen.

He felt the moment that the fight left her. Her hands slackened and slipped from trying to escape, no more energy to maintain the fight as her brain began to starve and die. He could feel the heat of her body begin to decrease as her muscles locked up, no more energy to release them as she began to cool in his grip, the last bits of life fleeing down her slackening frame. She began to feel more like dead weight than a mortal anymore, and the kill came in his favour soon after that.

Dropping the maid's limp body to the floor, Sephiroth had to take a moment to calm himself, the tingle of her death still running up the length of his arm. He heaved a pleased sigh to himself and felt around the area for life, sensing nothing on the floor that he was currently on, but he was certain that he still had the towers left to do.

Walking casually from the room, he strode down the hallway. He stepped over the fallen, paying them no mind as the fun had all but disappeared from them. His steps sounded loud in the empty hallway as he ascended to the next level, pushing open a watch-door to walk out on the castle main's rooftop. He drew to a halt at the sight that greeted him.

Bodies littered the enter rooftop, tossed – or perhaps fallen – unceremoniously about like ill-fated toys that could not stand up to a child's tantrum. The smell of death was thick despite the breeze, and, as he stepped out completely, he could feel the slick stickiness of drying blood covering his boots. It was almost impossible to not step on body part as he moved with a silent awe to the scene laid out before him, one of the most beautiful he had ever seen in all of his years of living.

These were not his kills, but they were fresh enough where he could still feel the vague fading of life from slackening muscles. A tremor of excitement ran up the length of his spine as he stopped at the edge of the rooftop and looked down into a side courtyard that he had missed in his journeys upwards.

It appeared that the lord of the castle was trying to make an escape out of a side door, slipping away while the castle itself was completely sacked. Five guards accompanied the older man, all with swords drawn. They could not escape the confined courtyard, the door that would lead to the outside safety pinned shut by a massive sword that had been thrown with an expert amount of precious. The other door, which lead back to the stone manor, was blocked by something much darker than a sword, and it was stalking forward with palpable confidence.

The darkness and distance masked Cloud as the blonde strode forward. Despite the distance, Sephiroth could see the blonde's blooded claw flexing eagerly, obviously looking for the kill without hesitation. He could not help either the urge to beat Cloud to the kill nor the one that wanted him to be kept pivoted on the spot to see how Cloud handled such a situation.

Stepping up on the edge of the stone building, he decided that watching was more important than doing. The sight alone made the familiar excitement run along his body as Cloud so easily closed the distance. There was no need for the blonde to get the sword back, and it was clear that Cloud was not looking to pull it from pinning the door either.

Two of the guards left their direct posts to stand in opposition to the blonde's fast advance. His keen eyes took in the rise of Cloud's wing in challenge back, the claws at the end of the wing glistening with drying blood in the moonlight. He could sense the hesitation from the two guards as if they did not know what to expect from the blonde, but Sephiroth could only stand pleased as Cloud showed exactly what the blonde could and would do to all that stood in opposition to the slaughter.

Cloud stopped for the slightest of moments, the blonde's weight suddenly leaning forward. There was an obvious tightening of muscles along the blonde's frame before his little one launched into aggressive ferocity. The only clear indication that Cloud had hit the first target was the sudden spray of blood and jerk of the male form.

Using the body as a shield, Cloud intercepted the sword strike meant to take the blonde down. A moment later, Cloud dropped the body and grasped onto the cloak of the retreating guard, using surprising physical strength to jerk the guard to the ground. A simple coup de grace ended the struggles, and even from that distance, Sephiroth watched Cloud flick blood at the remaining four men threateningly.

One of the guards was working at the sword pinning the door closed while the other two stood with weapons at the ready to defend their lord. Cloud seemed completely undeterred from advancing on armed guards, and it seemed to please the blonde that that massive sword held firmly in the door.

Cloud moved suddenly, sliding over to one guard and flipping up and settled so easily on the man's armored shoulders. The guard almost faltered under the added weight, but there was little chance as the demonic wing curled down over the blonde's shoulder and viciously dug claws into the guard's throat, cutting off life brutally. The lifeless body began to crumple instantly, but Cloud launched upwards in an opposite momentum.

The blonde came down quickly, clawed hand cutting down the length of body, easily cutting through the padded armour that man had been wearing. It was difficult to tell in the darkness where all the blood landed, but he was certain that a significant portion of it landed on his little one. That thought alone made him shiver in excitement as he watched Cloud move on.

He finally left the ledge of the building to walk along the side to the stone stairs, deciding that the long way around would do him good to cool his emotions again. Forcing deep breaths into his lungs did little to help as the stench of blood and death hung everywhere, taunting him with the conquest he had finally been able to indulge himself in for the first time in years. The grime on his leather and skin only served to remind him just how wonderful those bodies falling felt under his beloved blade.

Pausing, he closed his eyes to that utterly absorbing sound of a scream of panic. He could only imagine Cloud having fun with the last two kills, probably like a cat plays with a mouse before growing bored and leaving the kill. Shivering to himself, he quickly moved down the stairs, stepping over a few bodies that had obviously fallen from the rooftop.

Sephiroth stepped out onto the grass to find Cloud utterly alone, standing in a patch of broken bodies. He had to take a moment to regard the scene laid out before him before piecing it all together for those points of the battle he had missed. The last guard had probably been disposed of by claw or wing, but the lord seemed to have warranted the blonde's massive blade for a killing blow, given that the head was closer to him than Cloud at this point.

A cool but pleased smirk tugged at his lips as he closed the small distance between himself and Cloud. He could smell the thickness of death radiating from the blonde's form, and he could not actually see much of Cloud's natural skin colour anymore either.

"Did you have fun, my little precious?" The thrill of battle had directed his voice to a husky tone. How he had missed this excitement.

Cloud said nothing surprisingly; in fact, the blonde had not moved upon his approach either. No, Cloud had stood with back turned to him apparently looking off into the darkness of the night. This was Cloud's first slaughter, so perhaps the blonde was taking the newness hard. He had never really thought that Cloud would be anything other than like him, enjoying every moment of these kills and stealing away the lives of others for his own thrill.

Reaching out a hand, Sephiroth settled it on Cloud's bare shoulder, not even feeling the vaguest of tension which was beyond strange for the blonde. He forced Cloud to turn around and face him, unsettled by the strange behaviour and wanting to get to the bottom of it as quickly as he could.

Cloud was smiling.

Sephiroth could count on one hand all the times that Cloud has smiled in his presence. The almost gentle upturn of the blonde's lips accented the fine features that Cloud had been born with, and somehow, the expression made the blood dripping down the blonde's face to appear perfectly natural. Despite the complete lack of natural skin colour, the paleness of Cloud's lips stood out completely, drawing to the forbidden expression.

Before he could stop himself, a hand lifted and cupped the side of Cloud's face while his thumb shifted over to run the pad over the blonde's lips. It seemed to startle Cloud enough that their eyes met, the same burning thrill appearing in Cloud's blue eyes as in his own. Their first slaughter together had ended well.

His glove smeared some fresh blood on Cloud's lips, and, as Sephiroth withdrew his hand, he could not help his eyes drifting downwards. Cloud almost eagerly lapped up the flecks of crimson, which also explained just how the blonde's lips had remained so clean for the entirety of the slaughter. He felt a thrill run up his spine and curl pleasantly in his guts.

Forcing himself to take a step backwards, Sephiroth looked Cloud up and down, convincing himself that he was only looking for injuries. A small voice reminded him that the previous experience on a new world could still be hanging over the blonde, but he found his eyes roaming over the gentle curves of Cloud's body instead of actually checking for what he should have been.

Cloud was drenched in blood, the darkness of the navy material having turned black with the way that the thick liquid clung to the material. The wetness had a terrible effect on the stability of the material as well, the many belts around Cloud's waist straining against the heaviness of the material that seemed determined that it wanted to fall about the blonde's ankles. The armour dripped crimson in streaky lines to the grass, still somewhat able to glint silver in the torchlight, but aside from that, head-to-toe was stained red with blood.

He watched Cloud's wing flick off remnant blood onto the nearby stone wall, the casualness of the gesture making it seem all the more pleasant to him. Cloud had strong killer instincts, meaning that the node of darkness and magic the blonde had been created from were pure.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Cloud?" Somehow, he managed to get the words out, unsure of why it seemed so difficult.

"I wish that it had not ended," Cloud replied in a soft voice, sounding almost disappointed. "I enjoyed their struggles."

Sephiroth shifted himself on his feet, looking around the silent battlefield and an odd feeling pushed him. He resisted until his eyes flicked back to Cloud. "The struggle does not have to end, you know?"

Cloud threw him a questioning look, and it was only the sudden brightness of the blonde's eyes that indicated just how interested that Cloud was. He took a small step forward and tilted his head to the side, allowing a small growl to emit from his lips when Cloud took a much larger step forward, closing the distance between much rapidly. It was a challenge as their eyes had not broken contact.

He stared down his nose at Cloud and suddenly grinned, showing all his teeth to the blonde. His wing rose from resting against his shoulder, curling down to nudge Cloud's wing, and he set his shoulders when the blonde's wing smacked back harder. His feathered wing drew back for a moment, and he suddenly took a step to the side, making as if to get behind the blonde for the advantage. His breathing rate increased when Cloud stepped opposite to him and showed teeth in return.

It was the suddenness of their movements which excited him most of all. Somehow, they both turned to attention at the same time and met on more even ground, arms blocking each other's blows. The smell of blood hanging in the air drew a shiver along his shoulder, and he managed to get a grip on Cloud's arm when the blonde began to withdraw from him.

Drawing a foot back, he settled himself evenly and used his grip to jerk Cloud forward, lifting his knee a little in an attempt to trip the blonde. Cloud knocked against his knee but failed to surrender, instead leaping up and slamming into him completely. He growled again, the sound emitted from the blonde equally as he managed to get his arms around Cloud's body, pinning the blonde's arms. He felt the rise and fall of Cloud's muscles as his strength was fought, using his wing to grip Cloud's from swinging at him.

Somehow, they ended up on the grass, rolling about trying to get the better of one another. It was an exciting struggle, one where he knew he would be bruised and scraped for hours to come even if he gave just as much as he took. Their weapons had been discarded for close-contact fighting, and he could have sworn that he had rolled over Cloud's sword several times as the blonde tried to pounce on him and pin him to the grass.

He backhanded Cloud away on the fourth attempt, and he followed by rolling up to his knees. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth when Cloud met him, and he found his interest rising when Cloud gripped either side of his jacket and shoulder spaulders and forced them off of his shoulders, more or less pinning his arms. It was more the fact that Cloud leaned in and bit down on one of his newly expose pectoral muscles that peaked his interest. It was an effort to challenge him, but it drew his attention elsewhere instead.

Their game turned at that point, the bloodlust within them both driving something completely different to take over. He began to bite back, using his hands to caress before grappling Cloud when the blonde tried to squirm away to try another tactic of pouncing. The taste of blood on the blonde's skin was terribly erotic, tantalizing his tongue as he drew it upwards to lap at the specks that covered the blonde's neck and jaw.

He felt Cloud shudder until his menstruation, and he growled playfully when the blonde did, feeling Cloud's body press up against his. His fingers trailed across the ribbing of the blonde's thick sweater, pulling it up until it was bunched beneath Cloud's arms, and he found himself groaning loudly as he felt the blood that had soaked into the material dribbling down Cloud's stained chest and back. It caused him to tug at the belts that adorned the blonde's waist.

After some playful struggling and shoving that seemed to be mixed with a considerable amount of growling and biting from the both of them, Sephiroth managed to knock off Cloud's spaulder which was then followed rather closely by the spiked hip guard to the grass. Cloud fought back by throwing his long overcoat off and bit him hard enough to bleed while trying to get the clips on his boots off.

As Cloud drew away, he backhanded the blonde backwards and successfully pinned Cloud down to the grass. He growled when Cloud struggled and snapped at him, leaning down to complete some biting of his own until they were attacking each other's lips with teeth and growling.

He was surprised when Cloud managed to break his pin and flip their positions. He had never been straddled that he could properly remember, but as Cloud leaned over and their wings tangled together, he knew he liked the position. He allowed himself to be pulling into a grappling contest with the blonde before he simply stopped it by grabbing a mound of Cloud's hair. Cloud managed to make one of the most erotic sounds that he had ever heard, and he seemed to lose himself completely to the moment from that point onwards.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

In the darkness of the starless night, Sephiroth knew his mistake. Rather, he knew that he had done something that mortals would consider a grave mistake and mourn over it with regret. He simply knew that this was not the first time he had found himself in a similar situation. This was actually the second, just the beginning had been different. The end result had been quite the same.

He let out a soft sigh in the darkness of the room, inhaling the strange musk that had filled the air. Old blood hung foremost, a statement of the slaughter hours before. He knew that if he cared to look or cast some light, he would find it on his skin and that of the companion sleeping soundly next to him. Only a very small portion was their own, but it was still a fine smell despite how old it was.

The other mixture was less defined, but it most strongly was of magic and sweat. It was easily ignored as he lifted a hand to regard his palm for a lack of something more interesting to look at. His wing unfurrowed and stretched, flapping gently in the air before returning to sit against his shoulder again, another sigh leaving his lips as he closed his eyes a moment.

Blindly, his hand reached out and brushed against the warm skin, running his knuckles up the curve of the sleeping blonde's back. Cloud did not stir save to shift a little, and he withdrew his touch and rested more heavily on his elbow.

He supposed that next time – if there was one – he should know better than to delay when the urges for a kill haunted him. He did tend to get a little carried away, and now the results of that uncontrolled bout of excitement lay next to him naked and bruised.

He doubted Cloud even truly understood what had happened between them either, the blonde still too focused on defeating him in any form of competition. To Cloud, this had just been another game to show strength and take advantage of weaknesses with no ill-effects on whatever form of relationship they had with each other. Cloud would probably just take this crude roll in the sheets as a new opportunity to tackle and torment him in an attempt to best him at yet another physical competition. For Cloud, it was probably nothing more than a game.

For him, it was a source of control and power. It was just another aspect of their race that came out as he controlled and kept Cloud coming back to him over and over again. The blonde would be safest with him, but then… **he** had supposed to be safe with the same bouts of random passionate competitions as well. He knew well how that had ended, and he was not willing to risk Cloud the same way.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, that took WAAAAAAAAAY too long to write up, and it shouldn't have. Sephiroth was being a complete and utter tard for the slaughter scene, and I so had to force myself through it. It was really painful to do, and I'm hoping that this won't be a trend for the rest of the chapters. Honestly, I don't want to rip my hair out trying to get inspiration for a chapter scene.

And yes, Sephiroth nailed Cloud. Stupid muses running off and turning that sort of uncouth activity into backyard play time. I'll do my best to write an actual lemon later on if I can. What's the point of having them together if people can't even read how they do it? It would be funny to do anyway.

It probably doesn't help that I got my hands on .Hack//G.U. Vol 1 as well. I kind of beat it… because it was such a sweet game and the main character, Haseo, was such an ass that I couldn't put the controller down. I love that character so much.

My epic for the FFVII world has been bugging me as well. It keeps popping up in my mind, and I might have to start writing it soon. I want to finish Killer Instinct first, but I don't want to lose the idea as well. It is a pretty good, sort of original idea. Well, **I** think it's good, but others might not think so.


	7. Chapter 7: Adolescence Part 2

**Killer Instinct – Chapter 7 Adolescence**

By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

It was with frustration that she returned to Traverse Town, no closer to knowing what she had set out to do than she had been before she left. She had to constantly tell herself that she had gone there not only to find out information but also to test her new skills. That logic, unfortunately, only went so far before she had to bite her lip to hold down a growl of frustration.

Dealing with the immortals and non-humans at the Coliseum was more often the most frustrating than being beaten by one. They just sort of passed things off as if it was something, which could have been predicted. They were half-gods or gods, and therefore, they just **had** to be better than a mere mortal woman who could throw around her weight with a little skill. She really hated that condescending matter-of-fact way of thinking that all too often slapped her.

Thankfully, Hercules was not like that and did go out of his way to help when he actually had time. It was rather unfortunate that Hercules almost always knew nothing about relevant information that she was looking for… like who the mysterious heartless killer was. He had never seen nor heard of such things, and thus, was absolutely no help to her. Still, he was a friendly face.

She hadn't even bothered to go near Hades' realm. That place sent shivers up her spine, and she had been told too many stories to want to risk any kind of conversation with that god. That was probably where the information was… but at what cost?

Too much, she thought and huffed. Why did everything have to be so difficult for them when all they wanted was to do the right thing?

"Things must not have gone well if you are clenching your hands like that," a soft voice called. Tifa didn't have to look to know that Aerith was nearby, silently walking over to her friend with her head down. "Such an angry face… did they make fun of you again?"

Tifa shook her head then managed a smile to match Aerith's. The woman was always so good about making things seem much better with just a smile or a few words. "No… but I found out nothing in regards to what Leon had been talking about. No one that I talked to knew anything, and usually just told me to ignore silly rumours."

Aerith just looked pleasant and nodded at her. "But you are convinced it is not 'just' a rumour then? Did you find any evidence to suggest that someone like that really exists out there?"

"Nothing solid, unfortunately," Tifa replied with another heavy huff. She dusted off her gloves and pulled them off, tucking them into the pocket. "I just… felt like there was something there, that's all. It was a gut feeling, nothing more." She stuck her hands on her hips and looked around. "However, not having solid evidence is something that Leon would just wave off like he always does."

Aerith gave a small laugh, and she couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes. "Well… Leon has never been able to properly get around hearsay anyway. Technically, the keyblade itself has very little solid proof, but we all know that Leon has some grudging belief even if he has never seen it." Aerith gave a light wave towards the garden. "He just says he does not believe in here-say, that's all. We both know full well he listens to it and makes his own stubborn opinions on it."

Tifa rolled her eyes again playfully and walked over to the garden with Aerith. "Yeah and disregard any information that does not fit into his 'stubborn opinions' too. I sometimes have to wonder about him."

"Don't we all?" They both laughed at that and sat down on a small patch of stones that made up the border of the garden, a common place for them to be found together. Maybe the mystery would have to be figured out later on, when they had spoken more on the subject.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Cloud let out a disgruntled cry as he felt the hardness of his bed suddenly jerk away from him, and he found himself groggily airborne for a brief moment before the much harder floor slammed into him. He groaned as his wing stretched and felt along the floor until it found an accusing foot near him, and his groan turned into a growl as his wing withdrew and curled to his shoulder again. "…I hate you," he muttered.

There was a soft amused chuckle above him that came closer as it appeared the one who had assaulted him crouched. He refused to open his eyes until the throb of uncomfortable aching eased from his limbs. He just lay motionless and did not respond when fingers scratched his scalp playfully.

This was not the first time he had ended up on the floor of his room at the Coliseum. This was the first time though that he had not been tangled in the sheets enough to keep him struggling on the floor for a good while, which he was thankful for. No, he was simply cold and naked on the floor this time, meaning he must have fallen asleep on top of Sephiroth instead of beside. That was rare enough since he was normally pinned under the older man until Sephiroth simply rolled off of him then usually kicked him right off the bed to wake him up again.

He was not certain if this new game they had began to play had been a good idea. It tended to leave him swore and no better off in his need to beat Sephiroth at a physical contest. The only bonus – if he could call it that – was that Sephiroth tended to be a little more playful with him right in the mornings or the evenings, which often incited their play. It was rough, harsh and left him sticky in the morning.

Finally, Cloud pushed himself up on his elbows and glanced upwards at where Sephiroth was crouched beside him. He glared heatedly at the older man and took a swing at Sephiroth with his wing, not surprised when it was simply pushed away. He hissed loudly when Sephiroth's fingers rubbed against the sizeable bite marks that littered his shoulders and chest.

Batting Sephiroth's hands away, he forced himself to a crouch and snapped at Sephiroth before he managed to seat himself on the edge of the bed. He rubbed his face with the heel of his hand and managed a little groan to accent Sephiroth's amused chuckling. That usually meant he looked terrible.

"Did you have a good sleep, Cloud?" Sephiroth's voice was full of repressed amusement, but there was an undercurrent of dangerous lust as well.

Cloud shook his head and looked up at Sephiroth, who did not appear to have a shred of decency. He supposed that was fine, since they had both began to walk around in the nude without finding it odd in the least. Clothing tended to get ripped if anything was started the games between them.

"Hmmm, silence," Sephiroth drawled softly and came to stand at his shoulder. "It appears that you are grumpy this morning as well. Annoyed that you have failed to yet again win against me?"

Cloud snarled softly and refused to remark on that sore subject. He had once considered this new game that Sephiroth had introduced him to as another way he could come at the older man and beat Sephiroth in a physical contest. He had, unfortunately, been shown his place on more than a few occasions and had yet to be able to prove himself stronger than Sephiroth.

He turned his head as Sephiroth walked away from him, eyeing the older man silently. Sephiroth was getting dressed so early? "Are you going somewhere?"

"Ah, I knew that I could get you to speak coherently if I tried hard enough," Sephiroth teased and sloughed on the large leather trench coat. "However, yes, I am leaving you to your own devises for a little while so that I may get some work done elsewhere."

This confused him, as Sephiroth hardly ever left him alone that often. "Hades?"

Sephiroth let out a soft mocking laugh and looked at him, making his question seem very foolish. He only glared a little and set his jaw more, which did manage to stop the chuckling. "No, not Hades, Cloud. I have matters that I have to attend to on another planet."

Cloud brightened just a little, having not been to all that many planets with Sephiroth. They had managed a few city slaughters off of the Coliseum world, but it had been quite a bit of time since Sephiroth had even mentioned leaving this planet, let alone leaving him alone. He was not sure what to think of Sephiroth leaving him alone, but he thought that perhaps this was a bit of a test to get Sephiroth to let him come along anyway.

"I can come too," he inquired, not getting his hopes up yet. He would probably have to badger a little first.

Sephiroth gave him a sideways glance as if considering for a moment. "I am afraid not. You will do better here practicing your skills and… healing those bruises of yours." The smirk he was given was meant to drive him a little angry, but he simply narrowed his eyes at the older man. "You can keep yourself busy, can you not?"

Cloud made a soft affirmed noise. He had to consider how to better convince Sephiroth to let him go along, and he eyed the older man suspiciously. "I can practice my skills going wherever you go as well. You always go to a planet where I can practice."

"Not this time," Sephiroth smoothly interrupted. "You are to stay here." There was a certain finalization in Sephiroth's voice that made him pause from continuing.

"But… I can fight!"

"Where I am going, there will be no fighting. Thus, you are better suited here." Sephiroth was pulling on pants and going about doing a good job ignoring him. "If you so wish, you may go to a world by yourself and practice on your own."

Cloud would have said that it was not the same without Sephiroth, but he held off. He wanted to be independent, and he could hardly do that if he continued to hang around Sephiroth. There still felt like there was more that Sephiroth had to teach him, and he was not used to being independent unless he chose to be. Sephiroth had never forced any sense of independence on him but instead allowed him to develop it himself any time he wished for it.

He watched Sephiroth finish dressing in silence, considering how he would take this new command to be independent. It would be rather interesting to go to another world by himself now that he could and would defend himself. Still, it felt strange all the same.

Sephiroth said that there would eventually be a time when he grew up and left from under the older man's wing to spread his own. Was this his moment to make a life for himself as the second remaining member of his race? He doubted that this was a real test, but perhaps it was Sephiroth's unusually gentle way of pushing him away to see if he could fly on his own beyond the older man's help.

"I will see you in a little while. I am not certain how long my business will take, but I will come to find you again when I return." Sephiroth gave him a small glance back before walking from the room. He did not protest.

Cloud sat silently for a long time looking at the door, mulling over what he could do and how he could do it. There was plenty at the Coliseum to entertain him, but there were also worlds beyond this one that he could take himself to and set his own reign in place. He had not yet made a name for himself without Sephiroth's attached at the same time, and he wondered what it would be like to be his own person under no rules but his own.

He washed and dressed silently and slowly. He was ready to prove his skills on lesser races, that was for certain. No other race save his own – aside from Hades – had ever treated him on an equal level. Everyone was frightened of him, and he had come to relish that look of fear over the years. Maybe this really was his moment to shine on his own.

Gathering all of his equipment up, Cloud left his room and walked around the halls of the Coliseum for a long while. It was something he had done quite regularly, feeling outwards to detect life and how strong it was. His gauge was limited given that either it was heartless or a god, rarely anything else. It was the same as usual.

"Well, well, well…" a voice sounded from behind him. He did not have to turn to know who had appeared, but he did stop anyway. "What a fine day to meet you around. There has been plenty of chit-chat about you, my famous whelp."

Cloud finally turned to regard Hades, and he noted that the god was giving him a toothy grin. He managed the slightest of smiles and walked a few steps over to the god. "People talk about me?" Sephiroth had never mentioned that to him before.

Hades seemed to want to indulge him most times. "Oh yeah! You should hear the little whispers that follow after you. I even had this dame walking around asking about you… not your type, but geez, she could knock a man down." He did not quite understand, and it showed plainly on his face. "Whoa, whoa… butt-wings still has **not** shown you a woman yet?"

He simply shrugged, not thinking that such things were important anyway. Woman or man, there was probably not that much to see and he had given up on his childhood curiosities. "They all die the same."

"I love your answers," Hades said and petted his hair as if he were a pet. "Why, if I could have an illegitimate brat of my own, it would be you. I save that sort of dealings for Zeus… you sure you aren't his?" He did not like to be scrutinized the way Hades was currently doing. "Nah, you have too nice of a face to be the product of him."

Cloud leaned against a wall and hooked his thumbs on his belt loops. He had never understood what Sephiroth found so bothersome about Hades, since the god was always nice to him. "So where is this… erm… dame who was talking about me then?"

Hades pretended rather badly to be thinking back before snapping fingers in front of his face. "I could tell you, shortcake, but then see… I would lose out on precious information that I could use to bait you into joining my service." He just stared at the god, used to Hades' apparent attempt at play with him.

They stared at each other, and it was apparent that his lack of response was annoying Hades. He was told that Hades and contracts would make him regret everything, and he being employed by the god would make Sephiroth disown him on sight. He wanted neither at this point, though Sephiroth's disappearing act was not sitting well with him even now. He wondered about his security under Sephiroth's wing.

Finally, he just turned and looked off down the hallway. If this person had been inquiring about him, there was bound to be someone else that would know where she came from. Information was easy to come by, since it seemed that the gods were all terribly noisy.

Hades must have sensed that he would not be won into a deal at this point for the god bounded up and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Okay, okay, I changed my mind! Sheesh, you play hardball, shortcake, but I like you… so I guess I can cut you a deal for free. No, no, don't thank me… yet." The toothy grin indicated that non-verbal thanks would be required in the future when he had slipped Sephiroth's leash on him.

Cloud simply tilted his head up so that he could better regard Hades. "Where?"

"Well, according to my always right sources – who know… me – the demi-gods were obviously from here and as noisy as ever. I mean, they never shut up! All they do is talk and talk, somehow making a conversation drag out longer than it should because of their ulterior motives." He raised an eyebrow at the god, finding the conversation a little humorous but also trying on his patience. He was starting to get bored and being bored made him destructive. Hades probably knew that. "I mean, who seriously does that? Some convoluted demi-god with too much time on their hands and nothing better to do than to talk, talk, talk."

He was fast growing bored, and he had long since tuned Hades out as the god continued to speak about nothing at all. He never found fault with the god's ability to talk, and it had been a large entertainment when he had been younger. He was beginning to like Sephiroth's ability to be 'short and sweet' about information, driving home the point hard and quickly.

He managed to get about four steps away before the arm wrapped around his shoulders tightened and stopped him from moving away any further. He did not even bother to glance at Hades until the god said simply, "Traverse Town."

Cloud nodded his head a little, not even sure where that was. He would have asked Hades for directions, but the hair petting that he was currently receiving annoyed him. He would just have to find out where this planet was on his own; it could not be far. Maybe one of the other visiting gods would know?

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX **

After talking much too long to many of the visiting gods and goddesses, Cloud managed to extract the location of Traverse Town from one of them. He had also been rather cheerfully informed that a lot of the gods, goddesses and half-mortals liked to talk about him, so it was not just this mortal… woman.

His curiosity had won out, and he had spent a considerable amount of the remaining week tracking down everyone who had spoken about him to find out why they had been doing so. Sephiroth had told him to keep his presence 'low key' when in the Coliseum. It appeared that the higher ups in the clouds were very noisy and enjoyed finding out information about him, watching him, and one goddess had even said something about someone making a 'fanclub' for him. He did not know what a fanclub was, and he decided to stop his information hunt after a few backside pinches.

Instead, he found himself in a very strange mortal plane. There were houses like in many of them, but most of the people were just standing around with nothing to do but chat. It was terribly boring to watch from the rooftops, but he had no want to go down for closer inspection either. He was here to find a mortal woman who had been asking about him, nothing more.

However, that was his current dilemma. There were so many people in this place, most of which were gathered together in one location. If they did happen to go anywhere, they seemed to move in large packs. It was very strange behaviour.

It was almost like they were afraid of walking around alone.

He did not allow himself to get to close even as he moved around this… Traverse Town. He moved from rooftop to rooftop, trying to figure out the best way to snatch up the information he needed without having to just drag someone in an alleyway and beat the answers out. That idea was starting to gain appeal though.

Sighing, Cloud scratched an itch on the back of his neck with his wing claw. This place was one of the more boring planets he had visited, or maybe it was just boring because Sephiroth was not around to pester. He huffed softly, and he knew that he would have to make his own sort of fun to entertain himself.

He did have to wonder if there were heartless in this place. Some worlds he had been to had never heard of the black creatures whereas others were completely infested. He always enjoyed worlds with heartless when he was left to his own devices. They were hardly a challenge, but he did enjoy reducing their numbers and entertain himself at the same time.

Hopping down to a deserted portion of the town, he looked about himself. No heartless so far.

Cloud tilted his head to the side as he found himself staring at a little portion of dark dirt. This place was all stone with very few plants, so he found himself drawn over to the little plantation of flowers. They looked like lilies, but how they grew in such terrible conditions had him wondering. Did flowers not need lots of space to expand?

Reaching out, he plucked one of the yellow lilies and regarded it. He found it strange that flowers would grow in the middle of a town like this, but then again, perhaps someone cared enough to tend them? There were only lilies in this patch of dirt, where he was used to seeing a myriad of vegetation coexisting together. Such a strange sight, he thought.

Turning his head to the side, he regarded a small heartless staring at him with yellow beady little eyes. It was just a small one, barely to his knee, and its little antennae were twitching as it examined him. He was used to this behaviour, given that most heartless took pause to his obvious flowing darkness. The lack of intelligence was the only aspect that kept him from enjoying the moment every time that it actually happened to him.

He reached out with a hand and pushed the little heartless over. It easily rolled back to its feet and stared at him a little longer, obviously trying to assess how he fit into the 'dark creature pecking order' Sephiroth would say. He hissed loudly and climbed to his feet suddenly, watching as the little heartless backed off then disappeared into a puddle of darkness.

He snorted a pleased puff of air from his nose and looked back at the lily in his hand, twirling it between his fingers. It smelled pleasant.

"You must either be very new in town or be very powerful to just push around a heartless like that… and make it go away." It was such a strangely high-pitched voice that he felt his guard come up immediately.

Slowly, Cloud turned to regard just whom had entered his relative space, finding his eyes met with a young face. The individual seemed casual enough perched on the stone wall watching him. There was definitely something different though, not just the voice either.

He eyed this new person suspiciously, sensing no darkness. This person was obviously mortal, and he judged that whoever this was… they tended to avoid the heartless population because of that fact. Mortals did tend to fall easily to the heartless; their hearts were weak, Sephiroth said. This one did not seem so weak, not if even the casual stance had anything to say about this one.

Taking a step back defensively, Cloud allowed a small curling of his lip when the stranger jumped down from the wall to land in front of him. He was immediately taken aback by his attention dropping to bouncing objects on the person's chest, unable to stop his staring for a moment. They seemed to stare back at him, and he took another step back defensively, shuffling to one side. What the heck kind of weapon was that?

"It's rude to stare… you got a problem with me?"

Had he been less intimidated by the excessive globs of flesh, he probably would have dared to glare. He simply could not rip his eyes away, reaching back as far into his memory as he could to try and figure out why this person had such excess flesh in such a strange place. This could not be evolutionarily advantageous. They had even bounced when this person had jumped, up and down, up and down.

"What is wrong with you?" He managed to raise his eyes, and this time he did glare. He flexed his clawed hand, which apparently drew some attention from this brunette.

"I could ask you the same question," he finally spoke. He shot an accusing look to the strange mounds of flesh adorning the individual's chest. "What is the name of those weapons?"

The stare he received was bewildering to say the least. He found himself scrutinized as if he had just tried to grow another wing out his backside, and it was clear this person was trying to figure out whether or not to be offended. It was a legitimate question as far as he was concerned, and he did not wish to be attacked by a weapon he knew nothing about, even if they seemed like a poor choice and placement.

"Is that a serious question?"

"Yes," Cloud snapped, shooting yet another look. There was such a strange assortment of flesh. More on the chest area and less much lower where some should have been. Was this person a mutant? "What are they?"

Cloud sensed another presence coming towards his location, and he took another step back from the brunette standing in front of him, ignoring the shocked stare he was still getting. If he attracted too much attention, he knew he should leave or just kill any witnesses to his presence. He did not really know what stopped him from killing this person now, but it was probably because he was still confused on what sort of answers he could pull.

He glanced over to the brunette again before slowly withdrawing backwards, his eyes flicking to regard the new presence stopping some distance away to stare at him. That person seemed to have the same abnormality as the first one, though the new strange one presented them a little more from the lacking pink material covering the shoulders. Somehow, it felt wrong to be staring at those bare shoulders, even if he had seen Sephiroth's bare ones many times.

"You're… not from around here, are you?" The brunette was less defensive and seemed more confused by him, curious even. "Where did you come from?"

Cloud never really was one to speak all the much, so he kept his silence on his location. He was much too concerned with the approaching person, even if he did not feel particularly threatened by either of them. He was certain he could kill them both quite easily.

"Tifa? Who is this?"

The person named Tifa regarded the new person on the scene then cast him a glance. He leveled a stare and said nothing as his eyes darted off to see if anyone else was approaching the area, even if he felt no shame in listening in to the conversation.

"I wish I could tell you. He was hanging around your garden, and I saw a heartless approaching him. I was going to warn him, but…" there was hesitation for a moment and a secondary paired glance in his direction. "He just intimidated it away. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it, Aerith."

Aerith seemed to take a long and measuring look at him, the suddenness of a smile on those lips disarming him a little. It seemed warm and welcoming, but he had never experienced anything like it before. "Hello. I'm Aerith, and this here is Tifa."

Both stared at him as if they were expecting something in return. He was aware of mortal traditions of introductions, but he hardly considered them worth his own time. Who cared if someone knew the name given to him? He was just here to find the individual talking about him and silence them for good. Maybe he would destroy this little town if he was bored enough, so an introduction would be pointless if they were dead.

He lifted his upper lip in a small snarl and turned his back on the pair, walking away without a word. He had not received his answers, so their presence was useless to him. He could find out what they were from someone else.

"Is that a wing…?" That drew him up to a stop.

"Perhaps his world has been destroyed, and he ended up here like us? Surely that would explain his stand-offish nature." Did people normally talk in such ways when he could hear them? It did strain him a little to hear them, but he could make out their words plainly when not moving. "The wounds of his loss might be deep."

"Aerith, I really have my doubts on this one. He seems… ruthless."

"Ruthless? Did you try to fight him?" Aerith sounded incredulous but also disapproving. He knew that tone of voice from Sephiroth, who used it quite often around other people aside from him.

There was a long pause in their conversation, and he sensed that they were looking at him where he stood some distances away. He feigned looking around as if he were looking for a destination to go to. Sephiroth had told him that mortals would call what he was doing 'eavesdropping' and it was considered rude. If he managed to provide him information, he could care less what mortal traditions he impeached upon.

"No, but I could tell by his stance. He seems potentially dangerous," Tifa said softly, which caused Cloud to snort. Potentially? Hardly; he was dangerous.

"Well, perhaps it is best if we leave him be then. We can have Leon keep an eye on him for the time being, and we can ask around to find out some information on him." There seemed to be a flaw to that logic that he could not be bothered to tell them about. No one knew him on this planet.

"Leon might be best if he stayed out of this," Tifa said. "I think I confused him."

Cloud felt himself bristle at the accusation, and he nearly turned around to silence such blasphemous talk about him. He flexed his claw instead and forced himself to move a few steps over to the left towards the buildings. It also put him a little closer to the two individuals talking about him, an easy strike to kill them if he needed to make one.

Their silence indicated that they did not trust him, and he passed a soft sneer in their direction. He went back to ignoring them, flexing his wing before taking to the rooftop. He was certain he was still in hearing range as he plopped himself down on it, having to take the time to rearrange his sword comfortably on his back to accommodate the action.

"How… he… confused?" Well, he was close enough to catch at least bits of the conversation, since they seemed to be speaking in much more lowered voices. They were facing him though, probably to keep an eye on his position. "…looks… stern… say?"

"…not sure… knows… woman… questioned… breasts," Tifa whispered and passed an accusing glance from him to those strange mounds of flesh. They were called breasts?

He was startled from his contemplations at the sudden sound of laughing. He set a hand on the rooftop, fully prepared to stand up and strike them down for their mockery of…. Pausing, he settled again given that they were not looking at him as they laughed, which was a common sign of mockery. Instead, there seemed to be a strange sense of genuine companionship between the pair, something he would consider similar to what he and Sephiroth had but on a much less serious level.

He found himself leaning a little closer to inspect the scene, coming to a strange conclusion. These were women. These were the first women that he had ever seen, and they seemed much more delicate looking than the mortal men he had encountered. Certainly, he knew that children were small and delicate, but these 'women' seemed delicate in a completely different way.

He was honestly perturbed on what he should be thinking about the female of the species. Despite having never really formally known one, he still found himself confused by their conduct. They seemed very friendly and inviting, or maybe it was just that these two were that way. It was as if they were not afraid of him, which was strange given that almost everything he ran across scuttled away.

Sephiroth said it was because they were advanced creatures. Simple minds could not completely fathom their complex nature without resorting to basic instinctual programming.

Cloud huffed softly and looked around the rooftop that he was sitting on. He could see a long building across the way from him, and a very strange looking building to his right. The noise was something similar to an industrial shop that Sephiroth had once taken him to, but it seemed much too colourful even from this distance.

There was a lot of colours in this place though, an alarming amount of it. It made him sneer in disgust and hunch down, feeling like the badly mixed colours might attack him. No wonder there were heartless in a place like this… the terribleness of paint choice screamed darkness.

"Excuse me?"

Pulling from his reverie, Cloud turned his eyes downwards and had to lean over to stare at the pair of women again. They were looking at him with that expectant look again, and it made him feel uncomfortable. What did they want now?

Aerith was still smiling at him, and Tifa looked to be half-smug and half-smiling. Both were expressions that threw him onto his defenses, as he immediately became suspicious of them.

"What's your name?" That was from Tifa. She seemed less angry about his previous questioning towards her breasts. "Come on down here. We just want to talk to you!"

Cloud was very reluctant to leave his higher position to go and mingle with the commoners. He glanced around from side to side and slowly slid himself down the side of the roof until his legs dangled. He stopped and considered refusing to budge any more, but both were smiling and gesturing him encouragingly.

His curiosity and lack of experience for such a situation drew him further than he would have thought. He felt his boots settle on the pavement, and he drew himself up straight so that he was looking down at them. He was not that much taller, but the height difference that there was still made him feel like he had the higher position and thus, the advantage if he needed it.

When all he did was stare at them, they glanced to each other then back to him. "Do you… have a name?" It appeared they took turns questioning him, since it had come from Aerith again.

He looked between them and finally said, "Cloud." He was suspicious of the small look of relief that passed almost instantly over both women's faces.

"It is nice to meet you, Cloud." Aerith was talking again, and he found his eyes drawn to that warm smile on her lips. What were her intentions with that? "Neither Tifa nor myself have seen you around Traverse Town."

"I am not from here," he said plainly. He did not like that they were obviously probing for answers. He was here on his own business, and he did not feel it in his best interests to reveal it.

Tifa was now smiling at him, and he took a step back. "Are you staying at the inn?"

Why would he want to do that? He scowled darkly, and she looked almost immediately frustrated with him. "What is an 'inn'?"

"Oh my…" Aerith whispered in surprise.

"Wow, you really aren't from here then," Tifa replied. His question seemed to smooth over a lot of the building tension. "Where are you planning on spending the night then, Cloud?"

Cloud looked around for a moment, trying to decide on a comfortable crevice in the rooftops or between some of the buildings. He had not really had a chance to explore all that much, so his sleeping plans were still not made. Besides, he was considering not sleeping tonight.

Finally, he just pointed to a dip in one of the rooftops. "That looks fine to me."

Tifa slowly raised an eyebrow at him, and it seemed that Aerith was caught between trying not to giggle and trying to determine the sincerity of his answer. He watched them look at each other then regard him again, and he crossed his arms almost defiantly at them.

Aerith was the first to speak. "We cannot let you do that, Cloud. There are heartless everywhere, and a roof is hardly a place to spend the night here." She paused to glance at Tifa, who was nodding sagely as if they knew what was best for him. "There is an extra room at the place we are staying at. Will you not spend the night where we know you will be safe?"

His face twisted with suspicion and a little snarl curled his lip. "Why do you care where I am safe?"

Tifa looked a little less shocked by his rude question, and her expression hardened at him. He watched her hands slide down her body until her fisted hands were pressing into the sides of her hips, and he sensed that this was an intimidating gesture. He stepped back only to put him in a better position to draw his sword, and he was bearing his teeth when she advanced on him.

His hand went to the hilt of his blade, but before he could even draw it a little, her finger was in his face. He had to cross his eyes to look at it. "Are you always this ungrateful? I don't think I've ever met someone so rude in a very long time, and it makes me wonder what kind of world you come from that would leave you so devoid of real appreciation to a nice gesture."

He opened his mouth to fight back, but she threatened him silent by waving that finger. She jabbed it at him, and he felt it touch the bridge of his nose briefly. "You will not treat us like that. We are trying to offer you a place because you seem like you need somewhere to stay. We want you safe because we know what the heartless will do to someone. The least you could do was keep those sour expressions off your face and politely say no!"

Cloud stepped back to remove her finger from being dangerously pointed at him, and he had to wonder why he was letting this creature drive him back at all. He reached up and grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand away from his face, but he found the other one replace the first. His demonic hand grabbed that other wrist and pulled it away, finding that she did resist him.

He leaned forward so they were staring into each other's faces. "Heartless mean nothing to me," he said simply and threw her back. He felt nothing when she fell over, and Aerith immediately went to attend Tifa. "You worry for nothing, woman…"

"Call me Tifa," the brunette snapped. She was on her feet walking closer to him slowly.

"Tifa… I really do not advise this…" Aerith called, hoping to smooth things over. "Perhaps we should leave him be for a little while."

Tifa continued to walk towards him, and Cloud turned to face her again. He flexed his claw, and a smug look twisted his lips. "Leave if you know what is good for you," he said with deadly calm voice.

"Leave to some rude scum like you? I think not," Tifa replied. "I am going to teach you a lesson about manners, spiky."

"Call him Cloud, Tifa! It is only fair," Aerith called from behind them. She was not about to get involved in this battle of egos.

Cloud curled his lip in a snarl and growled low in his throat. He backed up until they were in a much more open space that would allow him to take his time with this one, and he supposed that this would be the start of his slaughter. He was half-tempted to reach for his blade, but as he sized this one up to not being worth the effort on his part. He had fought many mortals without his sword, and the end was always the same.

He watched the muscles along the brunette's shoulders tense a moment before she came at him. He immediately noted that she was surprisingly fast, but he blocked the punch with his forearm, only to then notice she was strong as well. So, she was actually a real fighter, one who only used fists and feet to defeat an opponent. This was a rare pleasure.

Dropping his arm when it became clear she was going to grab it, Cloud slid to the side and clapped her hard on the back of the head with his wing. She seemed to take it as an insult – which it was – and made an attempt to kick him. He stepped over the leg and slid both of his together, trapping the appendage between his legs to pin it.

He raised his claws and flexed them, moving to slash her throat and end this petty battle. He raised an eyebrow when the brunette bent backwards to avoid the hit, and he soon found his clawed arm seized and twisted painfully. He would not have minded if she moved to break his arm as it would put her in close range for him to finish her off.

She did not try to break it but instead to force him forwards and off balance. She obviously meant to force his legs to release her foot by forcing him to take a step. Her plan fell on a purely mortal level, as Sephiroth would say.

Cloud eased his wing away from his shoulder again, allowing his weight to lift off the ground. He allowed himself to be pulled forward and kept his legs clamped on her leg. She was obviously not expecting this and scrambled to right herself as he suddenly released and jerked his arm back. He slammed it hard into her jaw, watching as she fell to the ground.

He expected an attack from Aerith and lifted an arm to deflect it, but nothing came in from her direction. He risked a glance over to watch the woman in pink standing there looking pleadingly at the fallen Tifa, making no signs that she knew how to fight at all or wanted to for that matter. _What a strange woman_, he thought.

His prolonged distraction cost him seconds. He had sensed Tifa's rise a moment too late, and, even as he stepped aside, he felt her sneaker slam into his face. He stepped back almost gingerly, feeling a distinct warm wash over his lips, which quickly passed to his chin and dripped to the ground.

She had a forming bruise where he had hit her, so he supposed it was a worthy trade. He spat some of the blood leaking from his nose onto the ground, grinning when he spotted a few droplets spattered on her chin from his action. He flexed his claws, wriggling his fingers as he allowed her to close the distance on him, wanting her in close.

It appeared that Tifa noticed where he was going much more quickly than he had initially given her credit for. She leapt over him before he sunk his claws into her vulnerable side, his clawed hand clenching at a missed opportunity. He heard her land though as well as the sudden draw of air into her lungs, and he snapped his other arm backwards, catching her in the gut at the same time her fist met with his shoulder blade and bounced harmlessly away from his face. She was going to have to do better than that if she wanted to have anything more to say to him about being rude.

Cloud slowly turned around to stare at her, but she was on her feet again and glaring at him. He admitted he thought her resilience was strangely enduring in the same way Sephiroth's egotism was. Most mortals showed him much more fear than this by this point. She simply showed more stubborn solidarity against the fact he was winning their little skirmish.

"What are you, to be so strong and have no fear of the heartless?" Tifa was trying to pick out a weakness in his stance. Maybe she was just trying to buy time.

"Not a mortal," Cloud replied without emotion. She stared at him for a long moment, as if appraising his words for validity. He felt no need to fill in the gaps of his logic, but he instead allowed his wing and clawed hand do all the explaining required.

Tifa continued to weigh him up as he stood with a near casual air about him. She probably had no idea just what she was dealing with, but she had allowed some strange gusto to over come her senses. She had been holding back on him for the small amount of skirmishing that they had done, but then again, so had he. What did she really have to offer him in the form of a challenge?

Her legs shifted, and Cloud immediately darted to the side to avoid the kick. His instincts moved him as required, raising an arm to block the thrown punch before raising his right leg as she tried to sweep it out from under him. He reached around their locked arm, circling with her to keep their small pushing match.

He was somewhat surprised when she managed to kick him hard in the knee, causing a hard sting to occur along his thigh. He did not relent and shifted his weight so he could keep a better eye on her feet as she dodged his reaching hand and seized his wrist. She made to pin it, but he was stronger than her and twisted his wrist free before grabbing hers instead.

They fought for control in tight quarters, switching between him grappling her and the other way around. She was glaring at him over their shifting arms, and he could only look mildly smug. She tried to foot sweep him more than a few times, and he either stepped out of the way or kicked her leg hard to force the attack to stop. He had not bothered to use his wing in battle, more intent on wrestling on mortal terms for now.

Cloud found himself mildly surprised when Tifa wrenched away from him savagely. He skidded backwards a short distance and lifted his arm to block the attack he felt impending on him as he had done previously in their battle. His second surprise came as her fist slipped under his block and slammed into his chin, forcing him to withdraw a single step and shake his head a little.

Her kick to the side of his face sent him flying backwards. He landed hard on his back, blinking rapidly as his vision swam momentarily with speckled lights. He found his fingers flexing as a foot landed hard on his chest as if meant to pin him in some form of mortal victory show.

"Give it up, Cloud. I beat you fair and square," Tifa remarked and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared down at him from where he lay.

Aerith was jogging over as well. He could see the pink-clad woman out of the corner of his eye, though he refused to take his focus off Tifa standing over him. She would be in his range soon enough, but really, he felt no need to kill Aerith at this point. He could deal with her later.

"At least admit you lost," Tifa said with a slightly annoyed voice. She thought he was ignoring her. He was.

Cloud flicked his eyes up to regard Tifa for a moment before simply uttering, "Nothing is fair in this world. You would do best to remember that… female."

Without warning, his clawed hand shot out from the ground and grabbed Tifa's ankle hard enough to bruise. The muscles along his arm bulged as he forced her leg out with his as he swung around on his back until he was seated and had Tifa airborne over his head. He swung her weight down hard into the ground, hearing the air leave her lungs and pounced upon her back, driving his claws into the back of her neck.

"Don't!"

He paused in taking the killing blow and looked over his shoulder at Aerith standing in horrified realization at his back. She had no weapon, her hands covering over her mouth, but there was no fear in her stance. She was not afraid of him; Tifa was not afraid of him.

Withdrawing his hand slowly, Cloud rose to his feet and stepped off of Tifa. His clawed hand clenched and unclenched as he backed off and watched as Aerith ran to Tifa and pulled the other woman up to check on her state. It was so unlike any of his previous interactions that he found himself staring.

"You should not have done that," Aerith chided gently.

"He challenged me," Tifa replied slowly, still occasionally gasping for air and holding her chest. "He was rude to you. He had to pay for that, if nothing else."

He looked around his surroundings again as Aerith's eyes shifted over to regard him. He found his interest still in the conversation, but he had not planned to be so close to it. Something told him they would lower their voices should he move away more and leave him completely from the conversation.

"You are lucky that he had mercy on you, Tifa," Aerith said softly.

Cloud's back went rigid as those words filtered over to him. Mercy? He had never shown mercy in his entire life, and it felt almost like an insult. His clawed hand clenched tightly, but he could not evade her words as they permeated his skull and curled treacherously.

How could it be that someone – anyone – think that he was merciful? He had been born and raised for the purpose of leaning heavily on his instincts, most of which had been engrained and developed by Sephiroth. He shuddered to think what Sephiroth would say if someone said that he had been merciful in a fight, even if he had been.

He could have killed Tifa in that single moment, if not the many before then. His chin and cheek stung and were bruising, but he knew well that he had held back. He had no real explanation as to why he had, perhaps curiosity for the fact he was viewing his first female in his life, but he knew that he normally would not allow an opportunity such as that to slip by him.

Suddenly pulled from his rampant thoughts, Cloud looked sharply to the one that dared to lay a hand on him, surprised to find Tifa investigating his bruise. He jerked away, his upper lip curling in a snarl, but she persisted by seizing the front of his sweater and leaning close to regard his swollen cheek. He gave a loud warning hiss from between clenched teeth.

"We need to get some ice on that, Cloud," Tifa said and then released him. "The bruise will be black in an hour."

Continuing to snarl indignantly, he turned away from Tifa to show that he would not listen to anyone's command. He blinked in surprise when he found Aerith standing at his back, his eyes descending until he regarded what she was offering to him.

"Here, have some of this, Cloud," Aerith said with a pleasant smile. She gave him no time to withdraw before setting the strange brown object in his hand.

He stepped to the side and eyed the two women suspiciously as he lifted the strange brown block to his nose, sniffing it. It had a very strange aroma, one he had not encountered before. He did not trust it one bit. "…What is this?"

Both women giggled softly, but it was Aerith who shrugged and said, "it is chocolate. You eat it, and it tastes very nice. Be careful though… it will melt in your hands, so you better eat it before that happens."

Cloud looked back at the object in his hand, and he found quickly that Aerith spoke true. The substance was starting to melt on his glove, and he hastily put it into his mouth for lack of anywhere else to put it that did not involve the ground. He wrinkled his nose as the sweet taste hit him and the substance began to slick his tongue, forcing him to move the chunk of chocolate around his mouth.

He slowly admitted that he liked this strange food. It did not make him have the urge to spit it out nor gag, but it was pleasant to his senses. It calmed his temper enough for him to look around for more when he finally finished chewing and swallowing the small chunk he had been handed. He looked at Aerith expectantly.

"You would like some more?" Aerith was smiling at him again, and he had to glanced at Tifa to avoid staring at the expression. "I am afraid I have no more on me, but where we are staying there is some."

His eyebrows drew together as Tifa nodded slowly, the two women staring at each other before Tifa finally met his gaze. She smiled similarly, and he backed up a step wearily. "Come back with us, alright? I'll get some ice for your bruise, and Aerith can dig up some more chocolate from her stash."

"I do not have a stash," Aerith replied softly but giggled.

"If I look in your closet, how much will I find there," Tifa inquired.

Aerith gave a louder laugh and waved a hand in the air. "I was given most of it, and I feel uncomfortable throwing it away. They were gentlemen enough to think of me and buy a gift. I can hardly throw it away given the circumstances."

"So you have a chocolate stash now," Tifa confirmed and looked at him for confirmation. Given he had no idea what a chocolate stash looked like, he simply stared blankly. "See, even Cloud agrees."

Cloud found himself blinking at the suddenness in which he was drawn into the conversation. He had made absolutely no motions that he had agreed, so why had he been included? He opened his mouth to let out a harsh protest, but Tifa suddenly grabbed his right arm.

He tried to jerk his arm away immediately, but she had a very good grip on him. He set his heels into the stone as she tried to walk away from him, glaring at her. He refused to budge from his spot, and his wing lifted from his shoulder threateningly.

"Don't you want some more chocolate and some ice for that bruise?" Tifa looked slightly disappointed with his resistance.

"Cloud, it is alright to come with us. We are not going to hurt you," Aerith said. She reached out slowly, making certain that he was watching her gesture, and she gently patted his hand reassuringly. "We just want to make certain that you are well-rested and in good company tonight."

His idea of good company and theirs were probably completely opposite, but Cloud finally allowed himself to be tugged along. He was still reluctant, but he was given the impression that these two were completely willing to stand around and argue with him on it until he gave in. He was not about to waste that much of his time, and he was also under the impression that they held true when all they wanted was to see him in a safe place.

He had not forgotten his purpose though, and he could perhaps bully information out of these two. They may be able to lessen the amount of blind searching that he had to do, in which case he might simply consider destroying the populous on this silly planet.

Stopping when Tifa finally let go of his arm, Cloud looked up at the small house with apprehension. It was nestled in the Second District, and he was not so certain he wanted to go in there. He could see boxes stacked beyond the window, and he was not completely certain that he could see any rooms branching off from the main one.

Glancing to his right, he found Tifa looking at him expectantly. He tried to avoid that look, but he eventually was forced to regard it with a raised eyebrow. He followed where she was indicating and growled softly even if he did follow Aerith inside the small house, not finding it any larger on the inside as it has appeared on the outside.

"I just need to pick up a few things," Aerith called as she went off to rummage in a few storage boxes. Why was he forced to come on this outing?

He huffed and stood off in a corner, showing that he was not impressed with all these side-trips. He had bearly agreed to accompany the two in the first place, but he refused to remain they bored him with such trivial matters. He even began to tap a foot on the floor impatiently.

Aerith finally came back to where he and Tifa were standing together. The look on her face confused him and the giggle even more so. "You two have the same impatient stance. So much alike," she commented.

He looked sharply over at Tifa the same time that the dark-haired woman looked at him. He huffed and looked away immediately, not about to comment on such stupid associations.

"Can we go now, Aerith?"

"Yes, I am all finished here," Aerith replied with that same bright smile.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Cloud was getting bored, but he had decided to indulge the women he was staying with by remaining indoors. A small girl had attacked him when he had come in, and her chipper attitude and claim of being a ninja had instantly annoyed him. He had almost given into the urge to take her head off when she was thankfully ordered off to do some chores.

There had also been another man in the small house, but aside from staring at each other from a distance, they had not interacted at all. He was just as content with that, even if he suspected that the brunette had watched him go with an air of suspicion. He only had half a mind to care.

He had pretty much confined himself to the room he had been given, not entirely wishing to interact with such people. They had not shown an understanding of him, and he hardly understood them either. He had obviously spend much too long under Sephiroth's wing, but he admitted now that he had enjoyed being there. People were complicated, and he had little interest of them.

Turning his head from where he was staring out the window, Cloud regarded the closed door with a sense of revulsion. He was about to ignore the previous knocking noise until another followed, and he sighed heavily. Figures one of them would disturb him.

"What," he called in a snappish tone.

"Cloud, can I come in?"

Thinking for a moment, he could not actually decide which female that was. It sounded a lot like either, and he felt that he would appreciate Aerith's company over Tifa's at this point. Still, he could not decide whom was at the door. "Fine," he finally said.

He growled softly when it was Tifa that slipped into the room with a tray. That was the one he had not wanted to see, but he supposed he was now stuck with her until he could drive her out. He figured that would be fairly easy if he put some effort into it.

He turned back to staring out the window, absently listening to her shut the door with a foot and striding over to the small table in one corner of the room. He could hear her set down the tray that she had been carrying, and it was not long after that that he smelled something nice in his room. It was obviously food, and he hoped that now that she had delivered it, she would just go away.

"I brought you some supper," Tifa said, and he felt her eyes settled on his back. "We weren't sure what kind of food you liked, so Aerith made a soup. You aren't allergic to anything?"

"Why would I be so weak as to have an allergy?" Cloud finally turned his eyes to regard her, and he smirked wolfishly as her face hardened.

"You are quite possibly the rudest person I have ever met," Tifa said coldly. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Well, are you going to eat?"

Cloud looked over at the food before he allowed himself to rise from where he had been kneeling on the bed, walking over to the table. He passed Tifa a questionable look in regards to her still being here, but she seemed unwilling to walk out and leave him alone. He supposed he could suffer her presence for a little while before chasing her off.

He slowly seated himself at the table, staring at the bowl of steaming soup with a casual air. There were floating bits he assumed were potatoes and pieces of meat, but it smelled very good to him. He looked at the spoon next to him and considered it a moment before glancing at Tifa who had somehow found reason to sit at the table with him.

Picking up the spoon, he brandished it like a weapon for a moment. Tifa seemed unfazed by his brazen show, and he was grudgingly encouraged to eat. He watched her suspiciously at all times, and even if she was looking away, he knew her attention was still on him.

"Does that wing of yours work?" Tifa was passing occasional glances at the dark sinister appendage tucked against his shoulder.

Cloud simply raised an eyebrow at her before shrugging. "It can," he replied. He watched her regarding it with a critical eye before he snapped, "I was born with it, so stop looking at me like some freak."

Tifa scowled a little before looking away in what appeared to be some form of embarrassment. "Sorry, but I've never seen anyone with a wing before. It reminds me of the darkness though, and I don't know why." She gave him a sideways glance. "You don't seem like a creature made from the darkness though. Your heart just seems… a little lost, that's all."

It was a little more profound than he had been expecting coming out of Tifa's mouth, and it forced him to remain silent instead of letting loose with snide comments. No one had ever said that to him before, never called him 'lost'. He knew he wasn't a creature of the darkness, but he also had been taught that he had been tainted by it before he had hatched.

"What do you know," he finally said and went back to eating. He made sure that he kept his eyes focused on the soup so that he would not have to look at Tifa sitting across from him.

She said nothing for a very long time, as if letting the silence tell him of her displeasure. Out of the three females, she acted the most strange towards him, like she was hoping for something to be there that probably was not. He really did not like her gruff hopefulness, and he could hope that further meetings with him would chase off whatever lame idea she had formed up.

Tifa fidgeted a little before finally blurting, "what world do you come from, Cloud?"

He paused in his eating to regard her for a moment before shrugging. Where he was hatched had little consequence to anything as far as he was concerned. "A world called Hollow Bastion."

Tifa's sharp inhaling forced him to look up at her again. She was staring at him much more intensely than she had been before, and he saw her hands clenched on the table. Her eyes were intense with emotion, almost all of which he could not identify. He thought she looked like a time bomb ticking down oddly enough.

Cloud sat straighter and lowered the spoon back to the soup, raising an eyebrow in question, not out of any form of politeness but because he thought it would prompt speech. It did not, and he grew annoyed by Tifa's searching gaze very quickly. "What? What is the matter with you?"

"…we all came from Hollow Bastion here. Me, Aerith, Leon, Cid… Yuffie… everyone was from that world, but you…" Tifa seemed to falter and finally looked away from him. She seemed to be wracking her brain for some answer that was eluding her. "I never once saw you or anyone that looked like you there."

"I only left it a couple of years ago," Cloud replied. He ignored her scrutiny and went back to putting more soup in his mouth. "No one was there when I was," he added after a moment.

Tifa was flabbergasted and gaped at him openly. "B-but there was an army of Heartless there," she sputtered. "How on Gaia could you have lived there? You must have been in hiding!"

Cloud shrugged nonchalantly and did not lift his head from scooping more soup into his mouth. Were women always like this? They were so emotional, nothing like Sephiroth. He decided that her over-emotional ploys were not in requiring an answer, so he simply finished off what was left in the bowl while she continued to gape at him.

As he pushed his bowl away and sat back, he noted that she looked disappointed by his lack of response. There was a strange woeful determination in her eyes, like she wanted to press for answers. Her hands were clenching and unclenching in front of her, and he suspected she was biting back another comment in regards to how rude he was.

Tifa opened her mouth then closed it again. She tried again after a moment.

"So, you are a woman," Cloud said, cutting off whatever she might have said. "Are your kind always so quick to anger and emotional?"

Tifa's face screwed up with anger, and he knew that he had offended her by his cutting words. She slammed her fists on the table and stood up suddenly, nearly knocking over the chair. It was obvious she was grappling for words to throw at him as her face turned an interested shade of red, from anger or humiliation he could not be certain.

"You…!"

"Me?" Cloud found a certain satisfaction driving her like this. Sephiroth did it to him all the time.

"You are pitiful cowardly inbred waste of space," she finally managed to shout at him. He took no offense, and that seemed to annoy her further. "You obviously were not hugged enough by your mother," she snapped lamely.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "I never had a mother," he replied, and he lifted his chin as if proud of that fact.

Tifa fumed and glared at him. "That explains much about you, I assure you." She pushed herself off of leaning on the table and just crossed her arms over her chest; the breast-things still threw him a little. "Whatever inhuman breed you are obviously had very low standards of raising their young. You are a pitiful example for any form of life. I've seen slugs with more manners than you."

Given how long days of his childhood were spent crushing slugs under his sneakers, Cloud scowled. He was definitely not lower than that slimy existence. "You just cannot stand that I am different than you."

"That's not it at all," Tifa said firmly. "You're a damn toad."

With a flick of his wrist, Cloud whipped the empty bowl at her head without hesitation. He growled softly when she caught it and slammed it back down on the table. He lifted his knee and smirked as he simply moved his hand and flipped the whole table at her.

He watched it slam into her arm as she turned to deflect it away, but it caused her to allow the bowl to slid and smash on the floor. Slowly, he rose to his feet, and he was a little surprised when she leapt the table at him. He lifted his arms to block, but she tackled him over onto the floor.

They both fell to the floor with a crash, the chair he had been occupying upending and slamming into the wall. Another crash sounded as the table fell over again with their struggling on the floor. They were grappling each other and rolled in an attempt to get the upper hand on one another, and Cloud's advantage was that he was stronger than Tifa.

Cloud held her away from him as he lay on his back, and he was startled by a gentle knock on the door. He looked over at the same time that Tifa did, waiting for an intrusion.

"Tifa, it sounds like you two are having a lot of fun in there." It was Aerith's voice coming through the door. She seemed completely innocent of their grappling contest judging by the sweetness of her voice. "I just wanted to remind you that Leon wanted to get together with us to discuss a few things. No hurry though."

Tifa somehow managed to twist out of his grip and rise to her feet. He remained lying on the floor as if casual, watching as she huffed and dusted off her clothing. She passed him an aggravated glance and stalked from the room as if everything had been his fault in the first place.

Women were confusing.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"You're so damn rude," Tifa snarled.

"You have called me that at least six times this morning," Cloud drawled back, not at all ashamed of his behaviour. He said and did what he wanted. If they wanted to stop him, they had to best him and force him to change his behaviour.

Aerith simply seemed amused by their near-constant bickering, and she often looked between them waiting for another fight to break out. She was also very good at changing the subject when it became too heated at the breakfast table. "So Cloud, what are your plans for today?"

He looked to the brunette suspiciously for a moment before he shrugged indifferently and went back to his plate of food. "Looking for someone," he finally said but softly.

"Oh really? Who would someone like _you_ be looking for?" Tifa and Cloud glared at each other again.

Cloud merely flexed his claws, considering how and if to answer the question at all. "Where I came from, there was someone who was asking about me. On that world, no one is supposed to know about me, so I have come to kill them." He flicked his gaze between the two women, both looking a little confused and Tifa a little disturbed by his answer.

They knew the people of Traverse Town fairly well, so he supposed that he could seek out their help until he had met his goal. It was such a simple task that he knew it could not take him all that long to complete it. He could simple slaughter everyone, but he had to make certain that he found the one in question and eliminate them far more brutally than the others.

Aerith smiled pleasantly at him and lowered her fork again. "And where did you come from then?"

"Hollow Bastion," Tifa said and glanced at Aerith. Their eyes met, and he thought there was some silent communication there. Women obviously had mind powers.

"That is where I originally came from," Cloud replied tartly, flexing his wing as a subtle threat. "I moved a few years ago to a new location to train. I do not appreciate people talking about me… no one is supposed to know I exist."

Tifa appeared curious and leaned her elbows on the table. She always seemed curious when they were not at each other's throats. "Why… aren't people supposed to know you exist? You don't mind that?"

Cloud regarded Tifa for a moment, raising an eyebrow. She always questioned Sephiroth's ways and manners of teaching him. Was it so different from theirs? "Because I am the last born of my race."

"So?"

He threw Tifa an impatient look and curled his lip in a snarl. She was digging for details again, and he disliked that immensely. "If I am killed before I reach adulthood, I cannot attempt…" he trailed off and finally just waved a dismissive hand. "It does not matter. That is the way that things are, so accept it."

Aerith was looking at him as if she had filled in the blank he had left, and he took his eyes off of her immediately. She seemed very good at looking through him, and it unnerved him. He hated more when she would glance at Tifa and seem to give those answers away so readily. Why did they trust each other so much? There was too much danger in that.

"So, where did you move to then?" Tifa managed a little smile that seemed to be encouragement for an answer.

Cloud shrugged again. "The Olympic Coliseum," he said simply.

Tifa fumbled her fork and Aerith nearly choked on the glass of juice she had been drinking from. He snarled loudly when both recovered to stare at him, eyes wide and even somewhat hopeful. He watched them look at each other before Tifa's face faltered. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and placed a hand on Aerith's arm. All this subtle body language was driving him up the wall. How did they do that?

"Hey, what the heck is wrong with you two? Why did you react like that?" His voice was edgy and demanding, and he clenched his clawed fist.

"You…!" Tifa started but stopped at a look from Aerith.

Aerith reached over suddenly, placing her hand on his wrist gently so as not to startle him into action. She was smiling that pleasant smile and patting his wrist in a comforting gesture; no one had touched him like that before. "It is alright, Cloud. We did not mean to startle you. This just seems a little coincidence, nothing more."

"What is," Cloud demanded, looking between Aerith and Tifa.

Suddenly, he found reluctance for either of them to speak. He narrowed his eyes, aware that they knew something about who he was looking for. His eyes darted between them suspiciously, his one hand settling on the knife at his side as he prepared to attack anyone that started anything with him.

Tifa shifted in her chair, and he immediately pinned her with his gaze. She smiled though, pushing passed his violence potential to also reach a hand out and touch the hand now bearing the knife. He was confused, and she seemed to sense it as she managed to get her fingers into his palm and force him to drop the knife back to the table.

They had not answered his question he noted. That irritated him greatly because he knew that they knew something about why he was here.

Finally, Tifa broke the silent, but her voice was not as hard-edged as it normally was towards him. It was soft, and there was that curiosity back on her face. "Cloud… can you… do you ever fight Heartless there?"

Cloud's face screwed up with confusion as he looked between the pair. Their expressions made his heart pound in his chest, and he felt extremely uncomfortable. They were looking at him in a way no one had ever looked at him before, and he was hard-pressed to place the expressions. "I… yes… everyone does."

Tifa leaned forwards across the table, and he found his hand being pulled to her. Her other hand covered the top of his while her thumb stroked against his hand. "Do you… kill Heartless, Cloud?"

"Kill… no," Cloud replied slowly. Their sudden disappointed looks made him stiffen in his chair. He managed to force on an arrogant smirk and tipped his chin away. "Heartless would have to count as being alive in order to be killed. I destroy their existence."

Aerith was the first to recover it seemed from his statements. "Could you show us? Please?"

He looked between the pair for a moment before he suddenly rose to his feet. He pulled his hands from theirs and shook them, pushing aside the strangeness of their touch on him as he left the table to move towards the door silently. He pushed it open and stepped out in the First District.

He stopped suddenly when he felt material settle over his shoulders, looking down at the red that Tifa was quickly wrapping around his shoulders. He glared at her, but his expression faltered when she simply smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder.

"People will be frightened of your wing, Cloud. We don't want them to harass you," Tifa said softly and dropped her hand from his shoulder. He would have asked why she cared so much, but her soft expression made him confused greatly.

Cloud shrugged off her hand as he walked forward, moving towards the entrance to the Second District. He could feel Tifa and Aerith trailing behind him, and he did not hesitate to push open the doors and enter into the next section of town. He looked around before moving into the open grounds, spotting the little make-shift base that Tifa and Aeris had taken him to previously.

He flexed his hand and glanced at the two women watching him from the door. He shook his head and stalked further into the district, coming to a stop as shadows appeared at his legs, small Heartless rising from up. Their little beady yellow eyes regarded him for a moment before four of their launched at him.

Bending low, he snatched one of the little creatures from the ground, digging his claws in as he ignored the other three scratching at his legs. He kicked one aside as he held the one aloft in his grip, suddenly dropping it down, but before it ever came close to the ground, his wing slipped out from beneath the red cloak and cut the Heartless in two. Its captured heart drifted upwards, and he only had to put in a minimal effort to cut down the other three.

"Cloud!"

"Tifa," Aerith said, but her voice sounded startled.

Cloud turned at the sound of Tifa's voice, his eyes widening impossibly wide as he felt her slam into his body and her arms curl around his neck. He made a soft disgruntled noise before realizing the force of her slamming into him was tipping him backwards, and he struggled to recover his balance.

He never really managed to shift his weight as he found soft lips pressed against his own, and he found himself hitting the ground from the shock of her boldness. His hands rose to push her away from him, but he was surprised at how fast she caught his wrists and forced them back to the stone pathway. He struggled feebly before he found his lips released, and her cheeks were flushed with effort and some other emotion he had no idea what it might be.

He tried to push her off by twisting his wrists, but her grip tightened. He shifted to roll, but her weight moved to force him on the ground. He slashed at her with his wing, but she moved away in time while still keeping the pin on him. He tried everything to dislodge her by force, but Tifa remained firmly pinning him to the ground as she stared at him with that odd expression on her face.

It was the first time she ever dominated him by force.

Cloud eventually was forced to relent and remain quiet under Tifa's pin, breathing heavily and narrowing his eyes at her. She seemed to not be effected by his gaze anymore or at least refused to show that she was effected by it anymore. If he could describe her as anything, she was warm to him, almost… protective. It was different from what Sephiroth was to him, softer.

After he was quiet for a few minutes, Tifa slowly released her hold on him. He stared at her as she rose to her feet and then offered him a hand up. He considered not taking it, but eventually he gave in and took her hand, allowing her to haul him back to his feet.

"I-I've been looking for you… for a very long time, Cloud," Tifa murmured softly.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**Author's Notes:**

Yeah… that shouldn't have taken as long as it did. Sincere apologies since I know some people have been waiting a very long time for this chapter. My inspiration for the chapter hit rock bottom a while ago, and it just recently came back.

So yes! Cloud and Sephiroth separate for a time, and now Cloud's figured out what a woman is. I am so amused by his confusion on breasts. Poor boy needs training in that regard.

Most of you are probably reading Harry Potter 7 anyway. I enjoyed it, though the ending was interesting.

As usual, questions and comments can be directed to me. If people want me to actually answer any questions, you'll have to leave an email address. You know I always love to hear from you guys.


	8. Chapter 8: Adolescence Part 3

Killer Instinct – Chapter 8 Adolescence Killer Instinct – Chapter 8 Adolescence

By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

_**Author's Note:**_ Previous chapters have jumped fast along the timeline, but due to the fact that this is now before the game, I have had to slow the timeline down. Don't be surprised that the next chapters are basically taking place in Cloud's adolescence.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Tifa groaned miserably and buried her face into her upraised knees. She sat upon her bed hoping for some solitude but dreading it all the same. She was thankful that Aerith was with her, even if it did little to make her situation feel any better at the current time. God, how could she be such a fool?

"Tifa… maybe it is best we not inform him that it was you looking for him," Aerith said softly. It was an obvious point, and it was only be luck alone Cloud had not figured her out already. "We should be thinking of how we can persuade him to stay. He seems nice…"

"He's such an asshole," Tifa moaned out and clenched a hand against her leg. He was everything that was opposite to what she thought he would be.

Aerith made a soft understanding noise, given she was aware how they had not started off on the right foot together. It was perhaps a mere personality clash, or it could have been that they were both fighters who were stubborn and refused to back down from each other.

"At least he is attractive, no?" Aerith's voice was cheerfully uplifting despite its innocent on the statement. "That has to be one thing you cannot deny about him, even if his personality conflicts with yours."

Tifa finally raised her face from her knees to stare over at her friend, managing a little smile for Aerith's behalf. "Yeah… he certainly is… easy on the eyes," she managed. She admitted that he was more than easy on the eyes, and she hated how all her expectations had faltered but one. She was attracted to the blonde bastard, more than she would have liked to be.

She sighed and uncurled, allowing her legs to stretch out down the length of the bed. This was suddenly a lot more complicated than she would have expected. The man she had hoped to find and searched for was nothing like what she thought him to be. There was a part of her that had thought the help would be kind, heroic, selfless and willing to give them a hand should they request it.

Cloud showed the entire social qualities and graces of a toad rolled on its back. The man was selfish, gloated too much, unwilling to do anything unless it was forced, and there was very little heroics buried under that mop of spiky hair. He was also arrogant; she could not forget that big part of him.

He was, however, curious. There was a mysteriousness about him that drew her in, a brash uncaring attitude that seemed to suit him well. He was also soft and warm, but hot-tempered and taunted too much. Despite it all, there was something about him that made her want to dig for answers and touch him. Maybe it was because she was digging to find any sort of qualities that she had been originally hoping for in him.

It could not be healthy. She knew that it could not be.

"I think I got my hopes up too much, Aerith," Tifa finally said after a long silence. "He's everything I wouldn't want in a person helping us. He's worse than Leon in some ways… I mean, at least Leon has some decent qualities."

Aerith laughed softly and stood up, walking over to her and sitting down next to her. "Yes, but it is not Leon you were hoping for, was it?"

Tifa sighed heavily again and put her face into her hands. She had been debating this for the last three days, avoiding Cloud since she had kissed him so unexpectedly. "What am I going to do with him? Half of me wants to get to know him and the other half just wants to beat his face in. He's so annoying."

"Yes, but he has been much more subdued around you since you kissed him," Aerith pointed out helpfully.

It was true too. Cloud was much quieter and even held back snide comments around her a little more. Being a warrior, she sensed that he was more subdued at this point because she had forced him to relent to her strength rather than the fact she had kissed him. He seemed confused about the kiss, and had even asked if it was a strange female ritual. He was rather clueless.

Aerith gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Maybe you should just talk with him then? It is obvious he has very little knowledge in the department you are looking for."

"I wonder if he's a virgin…"

"Tifa!"

They both laughed and leaned against each other, but it was Tifa who curled her arm around her friend's one. They had all been hoping for so much with the Keyblade master not appearing yet. Cloud was the glimmer of hope, but that hope seemed a little bit dimmer now that they had all seen him. Why were they expecting someone so much more light-hearted than Cloud?

"Maybe, if we are lucky, the Keyblade will show up soon," Tifa said softly. "That way… Cloud can go home, and we won't need to worry about him at all. I mean, there is little chance Cloud is going to agree to what we are asking of him. I think he's already thinking we are planning on using him."

"Then we simply need to make him see that we want him around for who he is," Aerith said softly. She patted Tifa's shoulder sympathetically. "If you want, I will speak with him?"

"He does seem more receptive to you," Tifa said, trying to keep the hurt jealousy out of her voice. What if Cloud liked Aerith more than her?

Aerith leaned her head down to Tifa's shoulder and sighed. "Tifa, do not think like that. He is more receptive to me because I am not nearly as strong or a challenge to him. He probably does not feel that I am a threat to him, unlike you who has already overpowered him once and are not afraid to fight him." Tifa felt a gentle tug on her hair, and it forced her to nod. "Talk to him, Tifa."

She looked at her hands before the nudge from Aerith caused her to nod her head a little. "There has to be a light in that dark heart of his."

"You just have to find it, Tifa. It is there," Aerith replied cheerfully. "Make him see the light within him too. I have a feeling he does not even know that it is there."

Tifa nodded and moved to stand, staring at the door of her bedroom. Why did it feel like she was about to enter into another battle?

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

It really had not changed all the much. There may have been a little more dust laying around and perhaps a little more decay.

Sephiroth had never been terribly impressed with the look of his planet. His people's arrogance had made certain demands on the landscape to better suit their requirements and their sense of superiority. He had always thought that made the look of this place unnecessarily gaudy and hardly worth living on for any extended period of time.

He huffed softly as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked out over the grand city of spires. The stone seemed to claw its way up from the planet itself and stood scratching at the light green sky. If left, the stone would have been a sight for sore eyes, but his people has carved runic symbols and wards for magic into the very rock.

The bed of long standing trees seemed to carpet the stone monstrosities and set them to the ground. Despite the distance, he could still make out the _vylin_ vine crawling around the spires of stone. The plant had been harvested for its unique magical amplification abilities, one of the reasons his kin had become so powerful so fast on this wreck of dead stone.

He could still feel the soft hum of life washing off the plants and stone. He knew that if he were to go searching, he would find wildlife native to the area moving about living out pathetically simple existences. Anyone stumbling here would have thought it a nice cozy inhabitable place, but he knew much better.

Their arrogance had doomed them, leaving this planet uninhabited. He was the last native survivor of his people, and he held absolutely no want to revisit old memories here. He was only here for one reason, and it had nothing to do with checking up on the kingdom that was rightfully his at this point.

Leaving his perch on the rock face, Sephiroth teleported closer to the lost city and flew the rest of the way. He knew that anti-teleportation runes were active, and he was not about to risk being blasted from the sky by ancient magic. Kingdom Hearts might have left long ago, but the residual magic still remained strong in the runes that had been craved in the magical nodes time.

Setting himself down outside the walls of the capital, he casually walked the rest of the way. He felt the wash of magic flow over him as he passed by the open gate, the brass wire doors bearly clinging to their hinges. There was a fair amount of rust on them, the years having them groaning miserably under the slightly push by the wind.

The wide streets greeted him, doors to shops left ajar and crates that once held food tipped over. Any sign of inhabitable life was gone, the fruit rotten and turned to dust, and even the simpleness of drapes having rotted over time. It was as close to a ghost town as one could get.

Sephiroth strode through the streets, winding his way to the largest spire that was set in the middle of town. He glanced to one side as antelope-like creatures wandered in a small herd down a once busy market street. His interest in killing them was waned as he looked to the spire, jumping to the top of one of the small market buildings. Most of it disappeared above the trees.

He made a soft humming noise as his senses picked up a strange anomaly closer to the main spire, and he suspected that his reason for coming here would be easier than he had first thought. Despite the possible danger, he approached with his usual confidence, not worried about what he would probably find.

Rounding the corner, he stopped to take in the scene. He frowned a little as the large black creature currently in the process of ripping out the guts of a recent kill, throwing about blood and gore in a crude sense of enjoyment. It seemed to float a little in the air, tapered off spikes that should have been legs not moving even as the massive hands tore into the carcass. Its long kinked antenna flicked around as its massive head dove and rose to consume the last glitters of life from the carcass.

Raising a hand to his forehead, Sephiroth regarded the beast with a sense of annoyance. There should not have been a Guardian at this part of town; he ignored the fact that there shouldn't have been any existing because he had been charged with destroyed them all. It was probably for the best that he had not brought Cloud along after all.

Even if he had never made a sound, he knew that the Guardian would quickly know he was there. It was their way, to consume those of their own kind until nothing was left. The meal was abandoned before he even had time to step back around the corner, the black creature bounding on a half-generated levitation and using massive hands to propel itself towards him. There was a blood-curdling scream from the Guardian as it closed in on him.

Sephiroth easily leapt back from the attack, landing several feet away. He watched as the black creature shrieked in anger and immediately charged after him. He side-stepped the swinging claws before hopping back another few feet, not bothering to draw his Masamune.

The Guardian was obviously not used to fighting and attacking something as fast as he was. It seemed to bound after him as if he were just another antelope-type that would undergo common survival techniques. The attacks were almost sloppy even if he knew that having one land home would be devastating. Still, the last standing Guardian had lost a considerable amount of the experience in coming after their kind, and Sephiroth considered himself one of the best.

It was almost too easy for him. He used simple dodging and leaping actions to remove himself from danger temporarily, but he allowed himself to remain close enough to prompt another attack.

"You've lost a considerable amount that would make you useful," he finally said after landing on the top of one of the old shops. "I do hope you are not going to turn out being a disappointment. I came all the way here just to see if you were still alive here."

The Guardian howled and charged again, swinging massive hands out in an attempt to grapple him. He flipped in the air to avoid the blow, his left leg kicking out to bash into the creature's face. It fell from the building again with a snarl, not actually touching down on the ground but floating above it. It watched him with white eyes.

"I have a little one now," Sephiroth said conversationally, looking at his leather-clad fingers. "He's tainted by the darkness but extremely reliable."

The Guardian seemed to take pause in his words, perhaps planning on searching out the mentioned easier prey for a quick kill. It watched him with a little more interest now, massive fists opening and closing in a show of effort to how standing still was difficult.

"I call him Cloud," he said softly, green eyes fixed on Guardian. "…he uses your sword beautifully, Zack."

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Tifa rested her cheek against her hand before glancing at Aerith, her eyes darkening with worry. Her attention moved back to the battle scene where Leon lay unconscious and defeated, and his opponent sniffed as if completely disappointed. He was so damn obnoxious.

"He made that look easy… and Leon is no push-over," Aerith whispered softly. Her friend hesitated about being a good sport and clapping. "This must be a show of how powerful he is."

Frowning, she nodded to Aerith. Her eyes lingered on Cloud as the blonde walked away from where Leon lay; their newest stray puppy had more bite than any of them could imagine. She supposed that she shouldn't be surprised at all, given that Cloud had trained at the Olympic Coliseum for some unknown but extended period of time.

She had tried to pull out details about the blonde's life, but Cloud was completely stubborn on giving anything other than a verbal fight up. She had verbally sparred with him until it was clear that he would keep his silence on the life that he led. His purpose here was absolute and so simple: find the person talking about him and do unspeakable violence to said person.

That was all Cloud really wanted. Even though he behaved himself a little more, it was clear that his behaviour shift was nothing more than chameleoning in with their group. He knew how to survive, that much was for certain. He didn't bother to hide himself when he was fighting though, if Leon's current state spoke anything.

Tifa scratched her head and finally slid off the wall that she had been sitting on watching the battle. She could feel Aerith following her as she made her way over to where Leon was, bending down to check him. She pulled out a potion from her pouch and waved it under the fallen brunette's nose, smiling a little when his eyes snapped open. "Here, drink this."

Leon sat up with a little huff and snatched the potion from her. She could see his eyes lingering on where Cloud was off poking at a heartless that had appeared. Her eyes also lingered there, but it was Leon's voice that caused her to frown deeply again. "He was holding something back," the warrior male stated simply.

"I know," Tifa replied, watching Cloud. "He must have pulled his punches some."

"No, he didn't pull anything physical," Leon correctly coldly, still watching Cloud. "He wanted to crush me; he wanted to feel dominance and show me that I was weaker than he was." Blue eyes narrowed and met her brown ones. "He held back his darkness…"

Tifa blinked in confusion before her eyes shifted up to where Aerith was standing. Her friend smiled in that warm way before saying, "he felt no need to kill us. There is light in him, but it is about four shades of gray right now."

Leon grunted and stood up with her help, and Tifa easily supported his need to lean on a steady weight. "Still, he's a monster," he stated then huffed.

"You don't mean that…" Aerith said softly. "I think he was brought up with different standards. His ways are alien to us."

"I was talking about him being a monster to fight," Leon corrected dryly. "He's built to fight… and he's a hell of a lot stronger than he looks."

They all looked over to where Cloud was standing with arms crossed looking down at the little heartless that was skittering around his legs. For them, it looked like the little heartless was trying to figure out if it should attack the blonde or leave the area. It was just like when Tifa and Aerith had first met him, that confusion from the entities of darkness.

Tifa rolled her eyes when Cloud suddenly punted the heartless away. He was obviously bored, since she had figured out that he resorted to violence when no longer entertained with something. That was probably why the blonde had flipped their kitchen table three times during their various card games and stormed off like a sulking child.

He could only chameleon in so far. It seemed that he knew he was the outsider to their group, but he simply didn't care at all. Maybe Cloud was used to being the outsider?

"Cloud, we are going in for some lunch. Are you coming?" Aerith waved and beamed, as if that would encourage Cloud over.

She watched as he looked at their seemingly rag-tag group and huffed, the scowl evident even from the distance they were at. "Don't look so put out, you baby," Tifa snapped.

"I'm leaving," Leon stated immediately after her comment.

"I'll help," Aerith said cheerfully and helped to support Leon as the pair walked away.

Cloud was advancing on her, the look on his face clearly promising pain. Perhaps the 'baby' comment had been a little much, but he acted like one sometimes. She wasn't afraid of him at all, even if she knew that he could deliver on his threatens and vulgar gestures.

Tifa looked up at Cloud when his advance stopped some distance away. He wasn't that much taller than her, but he seemed to like to loom over her the few inches that he could. "Your brazen acts of intimidation and manliness need work," she said and crossed her arms over her chest as if unimpressed.

"The only reason you aren't dead right now is because you're useful to me," Cloud ground out, his glowing blue eyes adding to his poisonous glare. He pointed his claw finger at her, shoving her back with it a little. "Keep that in mind… woman."

The lame attempt to call her something rude caused her to laugh, and the rising tension between them sloughed away as Cloud showed minor embarrassment. She wanted to pat him on the arm, but it was clear that she was the only one sharing this joke. She could only enjoy how he fumed at her.

When she managed to calm herself down again, Tifa gently reached out and curled her arm around Cloud's in a mockery of elegant high-class snobbery. "Cloud, you really have no experience with women."

Cloud was clearly displeased with her arm around his, but he reluctantly followed her lead anyway. "…you're the first one I ever saw," he snapped gruffly, clearly trying to grasp for dignity.

"I'm not sure how that is possible," she wondered aloud. She tugged him out into the main street of the Third District, finding him growing less resistant when he seemed willing to be dragged into conversation. "Where was your mother?"

"I don't have one," Cloud said, voice edged with annoyance.

Tifa laughed softly again, this time with no mockery. "That's impossible. Everyone has a mother. She's the person that gives life to children and helps to raise them up." She looked at him, how his expression was still confused. "You… never had anyone like that?"

Cloud seemed to be considering things mentally, glancing at her occasionally from the corner of his eye as if measuring whether or not to tell her anything. "I hatched," he said simply, as if that cleared everything up.

For her part, Tifa managed to not stop walking, even if her steps slowed some. He… hatched? She looked ahead to where they were walking to as her brain tried to wrap itself around that concept, but then her eyes fell to the black wing that clung to Cloud's shoulder. He looked nothing like a bird that would require an egg… and what type of being could have an egg that big in the first place?

She smiled passed her muddled thoughts and said, "oh, well, who gave birth to your egg then?"

Cloud again looked confused. "Birth? No one… it was formed in the room where I was hatched from," he said, seemingly not certain anymore. Maybe he didn't even know how he came to be? "Sephiroth was my caretaker when I hatched."

"You mean… your father?"

"My what?"

"The man that gave you life," Tifa clarified, shocked that Cloud was even talking about this.

Cloud considered that meaning for a second. He did not seem to comprehend the entire family concept at all, and she could only grasp small bits of what type of life he came from. "He gave me life with blood, magic and darkness," he finally said.

The way that his blue eyes turned down to look at her made Tifa blink. He was looking for approval on his clarification because he wasn't even sure what she was asking in the first place. His confusion made him vulnerable, letting down his walls to seek answers. So, if she wanted to get to know him at all, she had to confuse him first and tug him along with little crumbs of information.

Slowly, she patted his forearm and smiled. "That sounds right," she said, deciding to leave that bit of conversation alone for now.

Tifa could see Cloud gathering himself again after she said nothing more that could confuse him. His face hardened back to that silent mask of indifference, and the muscles along his arm tightened as if he had just realized that she was holding his arm. He became what he had been before, returning back to the chameleon searching for information.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Sephiroth walked up the stairs of the main spire, not bothering to glance out the windows as he passed them by. The cravings of runic magic along the walls – magic that would have lit in darkness – flickered as he passed them by. The emptiness of the cold walls did not become any friendlier with his presence, and it was within the great halls that it was clear how his kin had fallen.

These walls had once bustled with talk of politics, magic, and the cheer of a people living well for themselves. Up the spire, the voices from below would echo along the walls, and it was part of their design that the manner at with the voices bounced off the walls that they mellowed and became music for the higher ranks of their people.

His footfalls produced no music, though he was certain that if he had Cloud trailing along in his wake that faint booming bass would come to life. The companion that trailed behind him made absolutely no noise, since the creature only floated about.

He glanced back to find the last existing Guardian following after him as if doing so was perfectly normal. He knew better though, since all of their twisted kind loved the taste of flesh. His flesh would be the sweetest of all, and any Guardian but this one would have been howling and frothing at the mouth to get even a single taste of him.

He rose to the top floor of the main spire in silence, looking around at all the moldy books that had been scattered across the dusty floor. He let out a soft noise of irritation as he moved around slowly, looking for any sign of something that he could use. This would have been much easier if things had remained in order, but it seemed the dead wanted one last laugh at their world.

From behind him, the Guardian made a soft growling noise. He did not bother to turn around the look, instead ignoring the creature to move about the floor.

He kicked over a few books to read their text before moving on when the words held nothing that he wanted. His eyes searched over the texts here, finding nothing of high level, which was what this place was supposed to have. Everything here was about history or inane little details about customs that no one really cared about, he least of all.

Drawing up after some time of looking at various sheets of paper, Sephiroth watched the Guardian for a moment before standing. "This place has been sacked of anything that could be of value," he stated. "Someone has been here, and I highly doubt you care about the ancient writings. You could barely read when you were one of us… let alone now."

The creature was not emotional at all, but the elemental little howl made him think of his old companion pouting at the insult. The Guardian floated around before pushing over a stack of books that were in its way to the window, not like a creature like that would care about looking from a window.

Sephiroth went back to searching around for anything on basic elemental magic or anything at all about elemental magic. It should have been here or in the other places that he had already searched for, but all the knowledge on more than a few matters seemed completely sucked dry. Books and scrolls refused to get up and walk away, and all the items that he was looking for had apparently done just that.

No one knew of this place. How could someone find this world and take everything of value from it? He had kept this stash of texts for a reason after he had found Hollow Bastion. Cloud would need that knowledge, but it was gone when his hatchling was most in need of it.

Hissing between his clenched teeth, Sephiroth stormed back to the stairs and began to descend again. He felt the Guardian fall into line trailing behind him, and he shot the dark creature a glare. "Some watch-dog you are," he snapped coldly. "I leave you alive, and you cannot even complete the simple task of doing what your name details… guarding."

He reached the bottom in the same mood that he had begun, frustrated and slightly perturbed. He clenched his hands over his black gloves, and he was about to storm out of the spire again when the Guardian at his back grabbed him around the chest, his arms pinned at his sides.

It would be so easy to slip from the grip, but that was the first real move the creature had made since their original introduction. He stayed where he was as he was carried unceremoniously to the warding room of the spire and dropped in the center of it. He batted the Guardian's arms off of him right after and looked around the room.

The room was vaguely circular with seven defined points, and the floor dipped down gradually until it reached the center where a dead crystal jutted through the floor and into the ceiling. The white walls were covered in runic symbols, all of which were various types of warding and protection. Some of them had been chipped away or faded with time, and the crystal in the center no longer produced the eerie green light he had once remembered.

He turned around in the room, noting that there was really nothing to see here. The runes that were lit up were the main wards around the city, ones that prevented teleporting in and out of the city. There were several seeking symbols for beyond the main wards that picked up residual magic and its type, but they lay silent and unlit.

The seven points of power for the room were just as silent. Only the fourth was prickling with power, and he knew that was because he stood in the fourth grid. Looking at the points gave another realization that there was no one here, not in the city, not beyond it, not anywhere in the world. He was… alone.

Sephiroth was not one to be affected by the sudden wash of nothingness that this room brought, but he found himself wondering how Cloud was doing. He had reasoned Cloud would not be able to handle this place or the Guardian that lurked within its confines. The knowledge would have probably overwhelmed the blonde, but he found it strange that he would simply leave the only thing left of his people to do… whatever it was that Cloud wanted.

He glanced back at the lurking Guardian and smirked. "How much trouble could one little hatchling get into, hmm? He only has the universe to explore."

The black creature made a noise that could have been a growl or a guttural chuckle. It slowly reached up and grasped its two wild antenna, pulling them down gently until they looked something like little pigtails. It floated closer and nudged him against the shoulder.

It only took a moment for him to realize that the Guardian was making some unspeakable joke, since their kind was bent on killing and absorbing darkness. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Why did I leave you alive again?"

Sephiroth turned his head at a soft sound echoing in the room, watching as one of the seeking symbols flickered to life. His eyebrows drew together as he walked over to the little red symbol, glancing to the Guardian that had gone back to its stoic ways of looming. "This is what you wanted me to see…"

Reaching out, he called up the symbol, watching as an oblong magical filter appeared in the air, a map of the area appearing on it. A tiny green dot appeared on the map, which he reached out and touched. "Display," he ordered. A new filter appeared above the map, flickering to life until it produced a hazy image.

Green cat eyes narrowed to deadly slits as a very familiar man appeared on screen, and he hissed his flash of anger from between clenched teeth. The Masamune fazed into existence at his hip, and he stared in disdain as the man on screen looked around and began walking towards the silent city. He cast a hand through the image, dispelling the magic and watched on the map.

Yes, the thieving bastard was coming into his territory. That explained much, Sephiroth thought.

Still hissing, he stormed from the warding room and out into the open grounds. He had hoped that their paths would not cross again, but he supposed that he could make use of this one for a little longer. He could at least get some answers and the location of all the useful information, since he was now positive the man had stolen them. Oh how he wanted to rip this man's throat out.

Leaping along the building at a quick pace, Sephiroth zeroed in on the approaching figure as he surpressed his darkness completely. He wanted to be the one to get the drop on the little insect, and he found it so rare that he wanted to cause more harm then death for once. This one deserved to the tortured, he thought. It was appropriate considering all that had been done to him and Cloud because of this spineless worm.

He felt the moment that he passed by the warding around the city, and he instantly teleported the rest of the distance. He took a considerable amount of pleasure at the surprised look that entered those eyes when he suddenly appeared in a whirl of darkness and kicking the intruder hard the way that he had come.

The intruder passed through the warding, and Sephiroth was pleased. Now there was no way that this creature could get away from his ire by teleporting away or using dark means to escaping. He walked with purpose to where the little worm was regaining feet, his Masamune swinging in to press against the intruder's throat.

"Such a surprise to find the likes of _you_ here at the same time I find out that precious archives are missing," Sephiroth hissed, allowing a fraction of his anger show in his voice. "I was wrong to seek your help back then, _Ansem_."

He watched the little traitor raise hands in mock surrender, and he refused to cut the man's head off for as long as he could pull answers from Ansem. The ex-ruler of Hollow Bastion, for his part, seemed unperturbed by his actions.

"Sephiroth," Ansem acknowledged thoughtfully. "I never thought you would return to your own world when monsters lurked here for your flesh."

Sephiroth gestured with his chin over to where the Guardian was galloping to catch up with him. He allowed a satisfied smirk fix on his lips as the 'creature' came to a stop and floated by his elbow, pawing at his jacket and pointing at Ansem. "What was that? Monsters seeking my flesh?"

He enjoyed how displeased Ansem looked, making certain to memorize the expression. "Is that the pup that you helped me create?"

"Hardly," Sephiroth replied and shook off the Guardian's hand on his shoulder. "However, you have something that belongs to me, and I want it back."

Ansem seemed to measure him before simply asking, "the pup made it, did it? You had said that mortality rates are high among your people, and I thought a whelp born off world would surely die." There was a small, almost welcoming quirk of lips in his direction. "Is the little one here? I should like to see what my hand helped to create."

Sephiroth's lips down-turned at the simple insinuation that Ansem would be allowed near his hatchling. After the creation then tainting of the egg, he wanted the fake scientist no where near Cloud. "He is not here, and I would not let you close to him even if he was."

"That is truly unkind, Sephiroth. I helped you succeed. Without me, you would be all alone, and wouldn't that be a shame?" Ansem's orange eyes narrowed a little pointedly in his direction, but Sephiroth was unconcerned by the gesture. "It would be purely for research that I wish to see him."

Drawing the Masamune away, Sephiroth stabbed the blade into the ground and let out a mocking laugh at Ansem. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the man before his lip curled in a small snarl. "I see nothing worthwhile in it for me," he stated coldly.

There was a calculating look that appeared on Ansem's face at his words, which did little to ease the rising dislike that he had for the worthless doppelganger. "We could come to a fair trade. I should like to see the pup, and you can have back what I have been using to expand my knowledge of the darkness."

Sephiroth felt no need to bother with hiding his dislike for the suggestion. He would get back that information without the need to show Cloud off, even if it meant skinning Ansem alive to get it again. That information was rightly his, and he was not about to make a deal in order to acquire it.

However, simply showing Ansem his hatchling could avoid confrontation completely. The longer he stayed away, the more trouble Cloud might have already landed in. He had no doubt that Hades was skulking around looking for an opportunity to pull Cloud into some idiotic contract where the blonde's skills would be wasted. He thought Cloud might have headed off world though, but it was difficult to determine where his little hatchling would wander off. Cloud was difficult to predict that way.

He never liked the thought of giving into someone he felt so completely superior too, and it was with a sense of pride that he scowled over at Ansem. "You will wish to interact with him, and I wouldn't wish to contaminate my hatchling with your complete cowardice."

"That must mean that you really do not want your ancient texts back," Ansem inquired thoughtfully. "I have garnered a considerable amount of insight because of them. I am certain more study and experiments would only yield me further results."

Sephiroth's upper lip twisted into a snarl. "You are trying my patience, doppelganger." His hand withdrew Masamune from the ground and pushed the tip against Ansem's throat. "When I finish reducing you to beetle waste product, I will find what you took."

This time Ansem smirked more confidently. "And where prey tell are you going to look? The universe is vast with many more planets then you can possibly cover."

"I have time," Sephiroth said with a hissing snarl.

"But your pup does not," Ansem replied acidly. "He will outgrow his potential eventually, so say the history of your arrogant race. And what will you do then, when he is stunted and unable to possibly meet your level?"

Sephiroth made a harsh frustrated sound and stabbed the Masamune back into the ground, looking plainly displeased with Ansem. He had assumed the pathetic worm would only look into matters that pertained to the darkness, but that would truly be a considerable set back. He had come after the texts because Cloud was in the state of having the highest learning capabilities now. Most of Cloud's life would be based off this period of learning, and it would be an impression that would shape his pup. He needed those texts.

He stared in disdain at Ansem before he sighed heavily and set his shoulders. "It will take me time to find him," he stated coldly.

"I knew negotiating with you would be a pleasant experience," Ansem said, giving a smirk of victory. The man pointed to Sephiroth then at the Guardian that hovered by his elbow. "You find the pup, and I will bring the texts. You will allow me time to speak with your pup and perhaps a… sample."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the word 'sample' but refrained from saying anything at the moment. He would figure out what Ansem wanted and then simply find a way to deny the back-stabbing coward. Oh how he would enjoy the day he could ruin this wretched waste of his time. "Anything else?"

Ansem seemed to consider his offer with surprise, as if not expecting it to come up at all. "An explanation as to that… thing would be worth my efforts?"

Glancing to the Guardian at his shoulder, he simply shrugged as if the information was irrelevant and uninteresting. "An old friend, you could say. He succumbed because of the ignorance of his master, but he had always been loyal to me." He could tell that the Guardian loomed a little more towards Ansem. "He takes orders wonderfully," he added, smirking subtly.

Ansem seemed unimpressed but seemed to reserve the need to make a snide comment about the Guardian. The creature was obviously looking at Ansem with an interest that would probably involve taking the man apart piece by piece. Entertainment was hard to come by on his planet after all.

"Where shall I meet you then, Sephiroth," Ansem said, clearly changing the subject and breaking the thick silence between them. "I doubt you would agree to bring the pup here?"

"Absolutely not," Sephiroth said coolly. He had no plans to allow Cloud a chance to step foot on this planet. The Guardian was under his control, but if one as young and impressionable as Cloud were to follow him here, there would be no amount of control that would keep the Guardian from wanting to pull his pup apart. It was not a risk he was willing to take. "Decide on a place, and I will meet you with Cloud once I find him."

Ansem seemed to consider carefully, tapping a finger against his chin. So many opportunities to back-stab one another… "Perhaps Hollow Bastion?"

Considering it a moment, he eventually waved the idea aside. Cloud had no interest returning there. "I would prefer more neutral ground," he stated simply. That place was somewhere Ansem may thrive more than he would like.

"The Olympic Coliseum is no place for academic learning…" Ansem muttered out loud.

"Agreed… plus, I have no interest in dealing with meddling gods with nothing better than to do with themselves but steal knowledge that doesn't belong to them." Sephiroth frowned, thinking over the vast assortment of planets that he had been to. Some had had their stars flicker out lately.

Ansem held up a hand as if some streak of brilliance had shown itself. "There is a place that is neutral enough. Lost residence of dead planets tend to end up there, so it might not seem so odd for someone like _you_ to show up." They offered a glare at each other.

"Name it," Sephiroth demanded coldly. The sooner he had the name, the sooner he could be free of Ansem.

"Traverse Town," Ansem offered lightly then chuckled. "It isn't that far from the Coliseum if I remember correctly. Meet me there with the pup, and I will bring my end of the bargain."

Nodding his head, Sephiroth pulled the Masamune from the ground and sheathed the long sword at his side. He turned to leave then paused. "Bring all of it, or I will show you my hatchling's true potential. He doesn't like taking orders, but he enjoys ripping useless bags of meat to pieces."

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

"Cloud, cut up your meat for once!"

Cloud huffed and glowered across the table at her each time she insisted he do things her way. The slab of steak hung from between his lips, which had curled into a feral snarl. She could tell that he felt like he didn't need to listen to her and would set his own rules for eating at the table.

Tifa glared back and pointed a knife in his direction threateningly, even if she was well aware that he was ten times better with a blade than she could ever be. She sighed heavily when the meat dropped back onto his plate with an unsatisfying 'slap' as Cloud took up the plastic knife they had provided him. He was much too dangerous with a real one.

She glanced helplessly to Aerith sitting next to her, but her friend seemed to only be amused by the near constant battling. She would have liked to call on Leon, but the stony man had left the table after Cloud had flipped the table in a show of a childish temper. Yuffie was the only one who openly laughed at the antics, but the little ninja teased from a distance in case Cloud turn on her.

"Tifa… let him eat how he wants to eat," Aerith finally said in that soft gentle way. It usually caused peace to settle for a few minutes.

Tifa huffed and regarded the stubborn blonde from across the table. He was so frustrating. "I suppose you're right. I can't expect everyone to actually have manners."

Cloud gave her a dirty look and stabbed the slab of meat in front of him with the plastic knife. They both blinked when it snapped, leaving half of it buried in the steak. There was a small confused noise that seemed to be emitted from Cloud's side of the table at this new problem.

She could only watch with a sense of exasperated smugness as Aerith had to use a knife to cut the steak in half and pull free the plastic that had lodged itself in Cloud's dinner. There was a moment of silence before the blonde offered a minute 'thank you' and seemed to smarten up a little. Cloud seemed to regard Aerith with a sense of quiet interest, but it was never voiced.

"Any luck today finding what you were looking for, Cloud," Tifa finally asked. She hadn't seen the blonde all day.

A sense of normalcy had settled about them, but Cloud simply shook his head. "No, most people are too busy staring at my wing to give me answers."

Tifa apparently hadn't completely convinced Cloud of the benefits of hiding that gnarled wing when in public. It wasn't so bad when they were all alone, since it seemed to be accepted as just part of what Cloud was. "Perhaps tomorrow you should wear the cloak that I gave you?" He stiffened as if insulted. "At least see if it warrants better results and if not, take it off?"

After a moment, Cloud shrugged in that way which indicated that the blonde would think over her suggestion to see if it was worth his pride to accept her advice. He would probably stool on it all night, decide it would be worth a shot then enact it until he became frustrated and reverted back to what was best for Cloud. His mimicry of human behaviour seemed to have hit a lagging point when compromised with the blonde's unending pride for appearances. Just what kind of creature forewent basic subtly because of a protectiveness to how they appeared?

She was certain that she would eventually find out, but she had been unable to confuse Cloud lately in order to figure more out about him. He seemed no more guarded about himself than usual, but there were no questions that she asked which caused him to reflect on the differences of their lifestyles. He was still greatly a mystery to her, one she was curious to unravel.

Why was it that he still seemed like a child in many ways? His ideals were completely foreign, as if he had been raised with a total lack of conscience in regards to life. Actually, Cloud seemed to thrive when taking life.

Tifa rested her chin upon her hand and found Cloud watching her with a raised eyebrow. It was only then that she realized that she had been staring at him, and she hastily shook her head a little and smiled. Even though his eyes moved away, she could feel how his attention focused on her as if trying to puzzle her out in return. They seemed so opposite, yet Aerith seemed to think they were quite similar.

"Well, I have a few errands to run this evening with Yuffie," Aerith announced in the silence at the table. Maybe her friend was trying to give them 'alone time', which almost always ended in some form of a fight. Still, she appreciated the effort.

She watched as her friend rose and took the plates to the sink in the kitchen, leaving them there to be cleaned. She thought that she might tackle that job once Cloud had hit another moody point and refused to talk to her, but for now, she could at least poke at him a little. He was sometimes more like a ticking time bomb than a person.

Once Aerith had left with a bubbly Yuffie, she could see that Cloud was starting to get restless. He never liked to sit around for long. The last thing she wanted was for him to egg her on for a fight just to keep himself entertained, something he did when he wanted to test his strength against hers again. Cloud was apparently a sore loser.

Without really thinking about it, Tifa reached over and brushed a strand of blonde hair back from Cloud's face. He slapped her hand away suspiciously, but she only smiled finished pushing the spike to behind his ear. "Why are you so defensive all the time?"

"Why aren't you?" His rhetorical questions were more of his defensiveness.

She shook her head a little and climbed to her feet, walking around the table until she was standing next to his seated form. She could feel his suspicion prodding at her intentions as she seated herself on the table and reached out to run her fingers through his hair. She felt him stiffen under her hand, a low growl her own warning that he would strike at her if she continued to push him.

"Is it just that you don't like to be touched or that you think I'm going to hurt you?" His growling ceased, and she used that opportunity to gently scratch her nails against his scalp. "Have you ever taken the time to enjoy it?"

Cloud seemed to stare at her with sneering dislike for the questions but also with something else. "Why should I enjoy it?"

She stepped behind him slowly, easing her other hand into his odd spiky hair and stroking the locks. She could feel the tension in his body rise, but she persisted because she wanted to see if he would really allow this. It would be the first time that he had let her behind him when he was in a more vulnerable position. "Because it feels nice to be touched, if you'd actually take the time to enjoy it. Not everyone is trying to hurt you, Cloud."

The concept was obviously foreign to him. The way he turned his head to watch her but still allowed her touch spoke volumes of his confusion on the matter. She was certain that he had been touched before, but it was probably the first time that it was a woman or another person than the ones that Cloud normally associated with.

Tifa ran her fingers through his hair, being both careful and gentle about it. She wanted him to relax for once around her. The spiky locks of hair jumped back into place naturally after her fingers passed them by, but they were soft to the touch. She allowed herself to smile a little when Cloud sat stoic under her fingers, and she could only imagine the thoughts that were running through his head as she continued to touch him.

Eventually, her fingers worked their way down to the edge of his hairline. He had stopped watching her, so she was bold enough to stroke the fingers of one hand down the back of his neck. It would be so easy for him to turn on her, but it appeared that he was at least momentarily placated. Her other hand drew from his hair to slide down the skin of his neck, and he stiffened with both of them there, causing her to drop one to his shoulder instead.

She waited in silence for the tension to leave his shoulders, and she was a little surprised by how fast that it did once one of her hands moved. She went back to massaging the back of his neck with one hand, daring to slowly bend herself forward until her cheek rested against the top of his head, able to smell her shampoo on him.

After some time of simple touch, she allowed the arm to her shoulder slide over his shoulder to drape down his chest, testing to see how long he would permit her touch. She almost started when her wrist was seized tightly, the claws of his fingers digging into her skin but did not try to jerk her away. It was out of the corner of her eye that she could watch as the black wing uncurled from his shoulder and lifted dangerously into the air.

"Cloud…"

He refused to speak but also refused to release the hold that he had on her wrist. Instead, it seemed to tighten to the point of painful. And that wing rose up and the claw hooked over the back of her neck, a fact that made her more than a little nervous. She had seen Cloud gut Heartless with that claw, but he wasn't moving it to slit her throat just yet.

"…you stopped," he said. The hint of disappointment almost bowled her over.

"Sorry, I just… didn't know what you were doing," Tifa replied softly. She didn't think that she had been wrong to stop with how he normally reacted to her. "Do you want me to continue?"

The silence was almost painful, but she knew that she was in no position to force a hurried answer. This was further than she had ever been with him, and their niceties had never gone this far or long. A big step, she thought. Maybe he would finally start to trust her a little now, if she could prove that it was alright to let her a little closer.

Eventually, Cloud's wing tightened, but the grip on her wrist loosened. "Yes," came the soft reply, sounding more like a child now than he ever had.

Tifa pulled her arm free of his hold and curled it around his chest. Her other hand shifted to join the first, and it was the first hug she had ever given to him. She gave him a small squeeze as she pressed his face a little more into his hair, nuzzling the locks with her nose.

After a moment, her hand drew up to touch the wing that Cloud was so protective of. Her fingers gently settled on the base, stroking the blackened skin. The wing seemed to stiffen for a moment before surrendering with a shiver, and the claw loosened before unhooking entirely from holding her to him. It was only then that she realized he **had** been holding her against him.

Feeling a little more bold as she pet with wing, Tifa dropped her head down before leaning in and pressing her lips to his cheek. She could feel him watching her out of the corner of his eye, no longer suspicious but curious. Her cheek pressed in against his as she murmured, "I like you, Cloud."

While the statement obviously confused him, he didn't actually snap at her. Instead, she felt his head nod and watched as his clawed hand lifted to curl into her dark hair in mimicry of her previous actions. She wanted to stay that way for a long time.

She petted the wing for awhile before dropping her arm down to hug him loosely. She ignored the ache of her back from leaning over because this was too good of a moment to let go of that easily. "You are a mix of the light and darkness… I just hope you realize there is light inside of you."

Cloud stiffened more than he had in a while, and Tifa almost regretted saying anything. She gave him a small desperate squeeze in hopes of calming the storm that was building inside of him. Instead of lashing out, he simply asked, "what makes you so sure?"

"Because you're still here with me," she murmured softly. "And I think… you want someone to love you for it."

Cloud was up and out of his chair before she could have any chance to stop him. She felt his chair smack against her stomach as he stood up quickly, leaving her behind as he walked away from her to the door leading to the rest of the house. Her arms were still poised in the position of where they had been resting against his firm chest, and she looked at him sadly.

"…I am not a creature capable of love," he said coldly. "I do not regret. I do not love. I do not _want_ to be loved."

Tifa stood up straight again, but instead of simply getting angry with him, she lifted a hand towards him. It was an open invitation. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Cloud."

He was looking at her with surprise before his lip curled in a snarl. His eyes darted to her hand that was still lifted in open invitation to come back to her and a low growl sounded in his throat, the kind that occurred when he tried to attack her. She didn't lower her hand and made no move to back away from him.

They stood in a standoff for minutes, Cloud growling and glaring at her for most of it. She felt like there had been _something_ there, something he was afraid of because of how foreign it was. He was both light and dark, but only the darkness had been nurtured up until now.

Tifa watched as his expression faltered when she simply continued as she had been, offering. He looked at her for a long moment before the tension left his body.

And then he came back to her. He went beyond her expectation and slipped himself passed her arm and pressed himself up against her body. She wound her arms around his waist and gently stroked his back as he relaxed into the feel of her touch.

"Cloud… I'm the one that you're looking for. The one who was searching for you at the Coliseum…" she breathed against his chest.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Sephiroth had returned to the Olympic Coliseum fully expecting to find Cloud training as per usual. Even though he had said that Cloud was free to explore, it was extremely rare that the blonde would wander off to do so. He knew it was from what a previous wandering had done for the blonde, and he was certain that Cloud did not wish a repeat of that time ever again.

He found himself deeply perturbed when his searching the Coliseum resulted in no Cloud. He thought that the blonde might have wandered to Hades' realm, but it was only a quick check to find out that Hades had been too busy in the Underworld to have even an ounce of time for Cloud. In fact, Hades had even hurried him out, which was unheard of.

Now, where would Cloud have gone? Has his hatchling actually wandered off world?

Sephiroth made a small indignant noise that he would now actually have to hunt Cloud down. He saw no point in waiting for the blonde to return to him, since there was no guarantee that Cloud sensed his return in the first place. It had been a few days, so Cloud could have been completely immersed in killing a planet. As much as that was a pleasant thought, he wanted to get Cloud taught up sooner rather than later.

Walking through the Coliseum, he finally decided that he needed a map of the nearby worlds. If Cloud were to go off world, it would be to something close. It was simply a matter of exploring those worlds in search of the blonde.

Silently, he resonated his power outwards and strongly. It was doubtful that it would reach Cloud if the blonde was far away, but it would be the easiest way to track his little wayward hatchling.

He received no return call from Cloud, and he frowned. Now he really was forced to go off world in a random direction. That was truly displeasing, but it would be in Cloud's best interest as well. Who knew what kind of trouble the blonde had managed to uproot while away from his side and under no one's rules anymore.

It did not matter. Cloud would be found in no less capacity than he had left the blonde. It was fact to his mind.

**XxXxXxXxXxX  
Author's Notes**

Midway through the chapter, I figured that the Cloud-Tifa friendship wasn't going to work. I tried to stuff her back in her box so Aerith could take over… but she refused to go. She did better than I thought she would at the end. Damn persistent witch!

Oh yeah, and boy is Sephiroth in for a surprise. He cracks me up.

I started my new fic for Final Fantasy VII. It's going slow, but I will hopefully get it up within the next couple of months (I give myself lots of time in case I hit the writer's block wall again). I'll post it on too, in case anyone is interested. And yes, I will continue to plug along at Killer Instinct too.

I think I need to get a beta too. My grammar can be terrible --


	9. Chapter 9: Adolescence Part 4

Killer Instinct – Chapter 9 Adolescence Killer Instinct – Chapter 9 Adolescence

By Chibi Nataku

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the characters associated with the games or concepts. All characters and relations to Kingdom Hearts are owned by Square-Enix, who keeps stealing my money.

_**Author's Note:**_ Previous chapters have jumped fast along the timeline, but due to the fact that this is now before the game, I have had to slow the timeline down. Don't be surprised that the next chapters are basically taking place in Cloud's adolescence.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Cloud woke with a sudden start at the sound of a door slamming somewhere else in the house. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, so he tilted his head a little in order to listen for any sounds of someone shuffling in his room or outside of it. He gave a little yawn and stretched as best as possible from his position on his back and lifted his head enough to peer around the darkened room.

No one had come into his living quarters, it appeared. He judged that it was probably Leon coming home after a night patrol of the city. It seemed that the man was dedicated to a rather ridiculous purpose, one that would be ongoing forever. He didn't understand why someone would bother night after night, especially when Leon didn't have the capabilities to destroy heartless.

Settling his head back on the pillow, he turned in his position so that he was lying on his side. He could hear the sound of soft footsteps moving around the common room, and he suspected that Leon was checking around the house. It seemed to be an annoying routine that the brunette had picked up, though he had not bothered to inform Leon that he would wake if someone came into the house.

It was pointless. He would be leaving soon, so no need to get himself wrapped into Leon's routine. He fidgeted with the coverlet, a feeling of discomfort twisting his stomach. He had planned to leave over a week ago, yet he still remained unable and unwilling to force himself away.

He disliked being confused. This life was confusing, yet it still held a twisted form of comfort to it.

Pushing himself to sit up, Cloud swung his legs over the side of the bed and huffed. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand and flexed his wing before curling back against his shoulder. His eyes drifted to the patch of skin where the darkness of his clawed hand met with the normal pale skin of the rest of him. Was there light inside of him?

"What are you doing out of bed at this hour?"

Lifting his head, he stared at the closed door of his bedroom and frowned. Someone other than Leon was up this time of night, and he had not heard them moving? His glowing eyes narrowed as he considered this, and he wondered how long said person had been lurking around near the common room.

"I was… just checking to see who was coming in," came a distinct female voice. Tifa was up, obviously. It was close to his door, so he suspected she had been looming by it in some form of indecision.

"Were you?"

"…yes."

"You're a terrible liar, Tifa. What are you really doing up at this hour?" Leon sounded tired and annoyed by having this confrontation.

"I was just seeing if… Cloud was still here."

"Ah, him. I should have known," Leon replied but there was little emotion behind the accusation. "Stalking him is unhealthy. If he's going to go, neither you nor I will be able to stop him. He does what he wants, when he wants to do it."

"Why don't you take him out on your heartless hunts? You know he would be useful," Tifa said quickly. It was clear even to him that she wanted to change the subject.

There was a long silence, and Cloud almost wished that he were a fly on the wall to watch this. He thought that Leon was considering the current options judging by the length of the silence. He could imagine them facing each other in some kind of stand-off, but then it made him wonder if her coming to his room to check on him was all that true.

Finally, Leon issued a loud sigh. "You are lucky he didn't kill you when you admitted you were looking for him. As it was, I'm surprised he only let you off with a minor choking… and I don't know why you continue to torment yourself with him. He's not like us; he's been trained differently."

There was another silence, not as long as Leon's had been. "Why are you lecturing me?"

"I don't lecture, but I'm giving you a warning. You think if you get close enough he will twist into what you hope he will be, but he's not like that. He's not a hero; he's not going to save you if you get in danger." Leon's voice had taken on a hardened edge, as if this were something he had wanted to say for awhile but hadn't had the opportunity. Cloud hoped they would fight it out. "Cloud will someday kill you, and you're too blind by your hopes for him to see how unhealthy he is."

"I'm perfectly aware of what he is capable of," Tifa retorted desperately, but her voice was muffled by something Cloud couldn't quite place. Hurt maybe?

"No, you aren't," Leon snapped, and it sounded as if the warrior had moved closer to where Tifa stood beside his door. "None of us know what he's capable of, which why I don't take him with me. He could turn on me in a moment's notice. I don't trust him to take my back; he has no reason to protect us."

"Leon…"

"No, listen. He's a deadly fighter; he knows how to kill… he knows how to do it very well. What makes you think that you're any different?"

"…"

There was the sound of shifting, and after a moment, the silence took over again. Either both or just Leon had walked away from the hallway. That little conversation was over, but it had been interesting while it lasted.

Cloud could not say that he was bothered by the fact that Leon didn't trust him. He wasn't here in this house because he was looking to gain any favour. He was here because he had been invited to stay and so far, that invitation had not been receded. He refused to really admit that it was getting difficult to leave, but it was not because he considered them with any sort of warmth.

He blinked when the door to his room opened quietly, and he climbed to his feet as Tifa pushed her way inside. He frowned at her entrance, but she only managed to look partially apologetic as she slipped inside and closed the door behind her.

"You were listening?"

He crossed his arms over his bare chest and huffed, looking away. "It is not my fault you two are so loud when you talk about me," he replied shortly. "And it is not like I care about what you say either."

Tifa smiled in that way she had started doing lately. She was still in her nightdress and approached him as if it were completely ordinary for her to do so. "You're a bad liar. You care or you wouldn't have stayed this long." She stopped just in front of him.

Tilting his head to the side, Cloud wondered what he had done to warrant her coming into his room at such an hour. Maybe she wanted to tell him something? She did sometimes come at rather inopportune moments to tell him something he normally was of the opinion could wait. "Why are you in my room?"

He stiffened when her arms slipped around his waist and lifted his arms away so that he could stare at her. He noted that she simply took the opportunity to step up and press her body against his own. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately as well, for a reason that was completely alien to him.

"Cloud… how long are you staying for?"

"Do you want me to leave," he replied, sounding defensive even to his own ears.

"Because, I wish you would stay here," Tifa said as if he had not replied in the first place. "I would miss you if you left, especially if you left without saying good-bye. Leon is wrong though… you wouldn't kill us, would you?"

Her closeness made him awkward as he looked around for something to focus on. She was doing this at an increasing frequency, and he wasn't sure that he liked it.

That did bring up an interesting dilemma, one he had been wrangling with for the past week. Would he kill them? A large part of him thought that he would and that there was nothing about them that warranted any mercy from him. He had not been trained and raised to show mercy, and he found the very thought of it as scarily foreign to the point of bridging on negativity.

Yet, there was a small annoying part he pushed around which stood completely opposite. He had weakened himself around them, felt a certain feeling of carefree lightness when he was around them. It was a feeling that he selfishly wanted to protect, to hoard and tend to because it was so foreign and exotic. He had grown to even like they company at certain times, though for the life of him he could not figure out why.

Still, he thought he could kill them at a moment's notice. His ties to them had not yet been tested, and he was not expecting them too either.

His silence on the question seemed to tell her something – he had no idea what – because her arms tightened around him. He shifted uncomfortably at the press of her body, finding that the material she wore helped to make him realize the differences between his body and her own.

"You should go and get some sleep," he finally said, his tone more like an order.

When she didn't move, he raised his hands and set them on her shoulders then pushed. He made a hissing noise when she refused to budge, and it was only in his attempt to pry her off of him that he remembered she was better than he was when it came to grappling. He huffed and gave her shoulders one final push before dropping his arms back to his side.

"What is your problem? You going to hang onto me all night," he demanded, wishing she would look at him so he could tell what she was thinking. She was so annoying sometimes.

"Cloud… I would miss you if you left," Tifa finally muffled from where her face as buried in his chest.

He frowned at such sediments and huffed loudly, rolling his eyes despite the fact that she couldn't see it. He figured that she needed sleep because she was doing that emotional woman thing Aerith had tried to explain to him. "I get it," he said impatiently. "Can you let me go now?"

He was pleased when she did actually let him go, and he was used to seeing that angry expression on her face. He smirked at her and flopped down on his bed again, his wing rising to brush aside the slap that was intended for his cheek. She had water in her eyes, and he figured that was abnormal since he had only seen it in little kids on the planets he had destroyed with Sephiroth.

Reclining back so he was leaning on his hands, Cloud continued to watch Tifa. "You aren't looking for a fight at this time of night, are you?" He would gladly give her a fight if she wanted one, no matter the time of day or night.

"Are you always such a jerk or do you have to try at it?"

"It comes naturally, I think," Cloud replied simply, not taking offense to her words. She had called him much worse that this did not seem worth taking offense over. "Are you going to stand there all night? If so, I'll just go back to sleep and ignore you."

He watched Tifa glare before coming over and flopping on the bed next to him. He elbowed her in the ribs in hopes of annoying her enough to drive her off of staying in his room. No such luck as she elbowed him right back and much harder than he had. She was obviously itching for a fight, so he simply shoved her childishly and watched as she fell over.

She came back with a hard punch to his arm, and he hissed in aggravation as he turned to attack her in turn. He did not get that far as her hands flew up and tangled in his hair, forcing him to bow his head down somewhat. Her fingers scratched along his scalp, placating him almost instantly. He stiffened along his back for a moment before relaxing.

"I won't let you go…" she whispered even as her fingers massaged nicely in his hair. "Cloud, you'll stay with me… and Aerith and them, won't you?"

He made a non-committal noise at the back of his throat. He was too busy enjoying the sensations that her fingers were invoking for him, but he also was not about to commit to such a long-term alliance. He would have to go back to Sephiroth eventually, but he could spend some time here. If she was going to scratch his head, he might even stay longer than expected.

Her fingers tightened in his hair in an attempt to provoke a response from him. He merely growled at the back of this throat and batted at her arm then drew his head away from her touch entirely. His upper lip curled into a snarl, and he shoved her hard enough to dislodge her from sitting on his bed. "I won't make a promise I don't plan on keeping," he said coldly.

Despite his words, he watched in amazement as her face screwed up with determination. He did not stop her when she rose to her feet and stormed from the room, but it drew a smirk from him as the door slammed. That would wake a few other people, and the drama tomorrow morning would be worth the efforts tonight.

He flopped back against his pillow and reached over to pull the curtain away from his window. He could see the stars twinkling in the black sky, and he wondered if Sephiroth was on one of those stars having fun without him.

It was no matter though. He was entertaining himself here with his 'friends', though he knew that he would prefer to be off killing a planet.

He frowned and dropped the curtain back down then turned his gaze towards the ceiling. When was he really planning on leaving? He did kind of like it here despite how irritating Tifa could be in her growing obsession about keeping him on the planet. He would have to go back though, since he hadn't left a not on where he had gone for Sephiroth to find. Eventually, he would be drawn back to the other man's company.

It was just a matter of when Sephiroth called to him.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Leon moved passed him and knocked away another small Heartless, really only successfully batting it away from attacking the mother and child. The brunette shouted an order to retreat from the growing swarm, but he remained standing casually against the wall to regard the skittering mass of black creatures.

Cloud pushed off the wall as Tifa rushed in and grabbed the pair huddle in fear, and she retreated with the child under one arm and the woman under the other. He walked forward slowly until he was standing next to Leon, his upper lip curling as black claws racked across his shins. It was such a small wound that it felt insulting to be attacked in such a meaningless way.

"I said retreat," Leon shot to him coldly. "They're getting worse in this area… in every area."

Drawing his leg back, he simply booted the little Heartless trying to gnaw on his ankle into the growing crowd. "You retreat like a coward, and I'll do what I do best," he said in the same kind of cold voice. He walked forward into the mass, and all took the opportunity to jump on him, slashing and crawling all over him in an attempt to weigh him down enough for him to fall.

The little slashes were annoying, but he turned around as his body was swarmed and stared at Leon. He could see the apprehension and anger flash across the other's eyes, but they both knew that Leon would be unable to step in as he did. The darkness wouldn't effect him, and, according to Leon, it was debatable if he had a heart to steal in the first place.

"Cloud," Tifa and Aerith cried in unison, but it was Leon who stuck out an arm to stop them from rushing in to help.

"He's proving a point," Leon stated simply.

"What point is that," Tifa cried in worry, obviously itching to jump in to help.

Leon remained silent for awhile, but their eyes met even if that was the only part of Cloud not covered yet. "He's proving that we care about him… and that he is best suited for this kind of work."

Cloud pushed a hand through the masses to grasp onto the hilt of his sword, drawing it despite the weight that was atop him. He flicked two Heartless clinging to the blade away – even if they simply skittered back to rejoin the masses – and swung the massive blade down. Where his sword pierced, inky black Heartless goo splashed and a little red heart twisted into the air and disappeared into the sky.

Twisting, he flung the little creatures off his body, his wing arching and ripping into any that managed to cling to him. His sword swung around and cut through those that he flung, and they disintegrated so easily until his strength. He moved by shifting his feet to one side, paving a path with his sword and wing and sometimes his clawed hand. He destroyed any Heartless that crossed his path, and he was unimpressed at their pathetic attempts to take him with them.

He crushed the last three by simply dropping his massive Buster Sword on them. The only indication that they gave of death was the sudden flickering hearts that rose into the air. He dusted his hands of the inky goo onto his pant legs.

"Oh gross! Cloud is covered in Heartless boogies," Yuffie called after running up. She was the only one who didn't look disturbed by how he had handled himself.

Cloud bent and picked his sword up, flicking the sticky liquid to the ground where it fizzled and faded away. He glanced down himself to see that the black goo was fading from his clothing as well, leaving only minor scratches to annoy him. He plunged his sword into the stone by his feet and lifted the edge of the cloak for his wing to hide back under; he was not yet able to do it without a little help from his hand.

Leon heaved a great sigh of annoyance and waved a dismissive hand towards him. "Next time, try to show off faster, will you? That kid nearly got consumed, and you seemed a little too willing to allow it to happen."

"It's not my fault he can't use his legs. The boy was the one who ran into this area," Cloud pointed out and his eyes narrowed at Leon. "And it's not my fault you have to tuck your tail between your legs and retreat either."

"Cloud, quit being mean," Tifa gritted out in exasperation.

"And Leon, please stop blaming Cloud," Aerith said quietly, smiling all the while.

There was silence before the three women broke into laughter and regarded him and Leon. He huffed softly but knew better than to argue when they were all together like this. He had never had friends before, but he had learned quickly that their laughter meant that they were happy and enjoying this kind of company. It wasn't so bad being with them like this.

"Hey, hey! Why don't we all go for some ice cream?" Yuffie seemed to bounce around them, and it was one of the only things that made Cloud nervous. She had a very large and abrupt tendency to jump on him after bouncing around. "Leon can pay though!"

"Hey!"

The three girls laughed again. Even Leon managed a faint smile, so Cloud forced himself to join in by re-approaching the group to stand next to Tifa.

He suddenly had to let out disgruntled noise when Yuffie took the opportunity to jump on his back and tug on one of his spikes of hair. How he kept himself so tolerant to her antics even amazed him, but he had learned the first time that bodily harm to Yuffie was difficult to give. She was fast and tended to win despite his better skills. He was also more tolerant because Yuffie reminded him of himself when he had been younger, always climbing onto everything and annoying the hell out of Sephiroth.

"How about we go for some ice cream like Yuffie suggested?" Aerith hooked an arm in with Tifa, and the pair began to walk towards the exit of the Third District.

Leon followed silently, and Yuffie leapt off of his shoulders and bounded after the rest of the group. He managed a small snort and followed after them.

Cloud stopped suddenly as a faint tingling of presence hit him. The resonating power was so far away, but it was clear. He turned to look towards the lightened sky, and he couldn't explain why he held himself back from resonating his own power in return.

Sephiroth was looking for him. He had always known that the older man would come looking for him, but it suddenly seemed too soon and brought up the growing insecurity in his mind.

Could he kill them? Tifa had asked a few weeks ago, but the question had surfaced like a bubble to his thoughts every time he found himself enjoying his time with them. He somewhat wanted to stay for a little longer, to enjoy both the freedom of doing as he pleased and to relish having something all to himself. Friends… He had never had any before.

"Cloud?" Tifa's voice broke him from his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

Turning, he noted that the entire group was waiting for him to join them, even Leon in that grudging way. He glanced back to the sky before resonating his power back and then he walked after them. "It's nothing."

"You sure?" This time Aerith voiced a normally silent concern. "You looked like you were concentrating."

"It's fine," he said simply, brushing passed them. He refused to speak any more on the matter because it was now clear that his time here was limited.

"Guys, ice cream," came Yuffie's enthusiastic cry from in the First District. They all followed and accepted her childish antics of bouncing around them.

The idea of doing group things like getting ice cream was foreign but enjoyable. It normally tested his tolerance of certain people's presence as well, since Yuffie took any opportunity of him seated to play with his hair and ask stupid questions. He would swipe at her if he found her constant nittering too annoying, and it were those times which he knew Leon was completely behind his need for violence.

Of course, after he had chased the annoying ninja girl off, she would gravitate to Leon and bug him. All the while Tifa and Aerith would sit together and watch their antics with constant smiles, as if this were the best entertainment that they could have asked for.

Cloud would sometimes go out of his way to provoke Tifa, but he was finding it harder lately. She showed more tolerance to his barbs, or she would flip the situation around by kissing his cheek or wrapping her arms around his neck. He disliked such public displays of affection, but she was usually impossible to shake off until she had had her fill of embarrassing him.

Still, their moments of having ice cream together normally warranted being placated from him. Aerith had told him this was what being friends was about, that they could spend time together and just enjoy the moments as they came. He thought she was a little whimsical in her assessment of the situation as he normally became bored half way through sitting around and listening to them talking about stuff he didn't care about. That was apparently part of being friends too, sitting and listening.

He really didn't get this friendship thing, but he tolerated the concept because that made these four people his. They wanted to be his friend, and being mildly possessive over something was a concept he could understand relatively easily. It was a concept taught to him early on.

Drawn from his thoughts, Cloud felt the wash of power press against his consciousness. It was closer this time, but he suspected that Sephiroth still remained some distance away. That made it clear that the older man was looking for him and was probably not going to rest until arriving here. What would Sephiroth think of his friends?

He sighed behind his fast melting ice cream and resonated his power back towards where he knew Sephiroth would receive it. He waited for a return flux, but it seemed that Sephiroth was estimating how far away he was without the need to pin point his location. That was fine by him.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

It was raining.

Somehow, this normal weather event changed the women into giggling monstrosities who continually glanced over towards him and Leon. It was not often that it rained in Traverse Town, but he also would have liked to point out that it rained even less on Hollow Bastion. That didn't seem to get through to the three women, and it was no wonder Leon was sitting with a book doing everything possible to ignore them.

Cloud found it more difficult, since he was certain that they were plotting something that he wouldn't like. He disliked staying indoors, but he was not about to go gallivanting off to get all wet in the rain either. It was safer and more pleasant to be dry unless he was out there hunting something down in which case the rain would provide a bit more of a challenge in some regards. That kind of weather was best with Sephiroth anyway, since they would often resort to hunting each other once the prey had been caught and killed.

He eyed Tifa as she rose and wandered off to the kitchen. He was suspicious of the smile that she had thrown him, but he allowed her to pass nonetheless. Instead, he stared at Aerith and Yuffie who were giggling a little more in that way Leon had explain was not 'innocent'. He didn't like it.

"Anyone want anything to drink," Tifa's call came from the kitchen. It sounded like she was getting drinks anyway.

"I'll have juice please," Aerith called politely.

"Milk!" Yuffie had to shout apparently before making a very odd 'moo'ing noise. Was she sick or something?

There was a silence before Leon simply said, "I'm good as I am, thanks." It didn't seem like a suspicious answer to him, but there was a growing sense of foreboding.

Cloud huffed and ran a hand through his hair, glaring at Aerith and Yuffie who were watching him. "Water is fine," he said.

He listened to Tifa bustle in the kitchen, filling glasses and obviously looking around for the tray to carry it all on with the way she crashed around. She was probably having trouble getting the tray, he thought. She didn't nearly have the same thought of being quiet as Aerith normally did.

Aerith rose and went to check at the state of the rain, peering out the door. "It's really coming down. I think it is going to rain all day, which is such a rarity. It will be fun today!"

Cloud didn't think so, since the sake of staying dry meant that he was stuck inside all day. He disliked being cooped up, but he would tolerate it because being wet and soppy was even worse. Tifa would mock him and tell him he looked like a drowned cat, then tell him to get naked so she could dry his clothing. Aerith would sometimes join in by saying he could catch a cold if he stayed in his wet clothing, but he thought that they were mocking him.

He stiffened in his chair when he felt Sephiroth's power resonating, seeking out his own. It was close, perhaps at the Coliseum or on a nearby planet to this one. He was certain that the older man would be here within a day or less depending on how determined Sephiroth was to hurry.

Closing his eyes, Cloud resonated his power towards the older man. It was time to leave his friends and go back to the life he knew best. He could go and kill again or train more in the Coliseum. He could also find out what had been so important that Sephiroth would leave him behind for weeks and weeks.

Suddenly, he received the shock of his life as cold water poured over his head. He stiffened in his chair as the room erupted in laughter, lifting his hands to stare at them as water dripped from his hair, clothing and body. His brain was frozen on what he should do as he looked up to see Tifa running by with a bucket in hand and everyone laughing as if it were the best joke ever played.

"Tifa, run," Aerith called while holding the door open for a quick escape. Yuffie was too busy howling with laughter on the floor to even try to form normal speech at this point, and even Leon managed a chuckle at his expense.

Cloud suddenly snarled as Tifa ran right out the door and into the open streets waving around the ridiculous bucket and laughing. He shot out of his chair and sprinted out of the house after her, her provoked action making him want to wring her damned neck. She ran though, and he unfurled his wing from under his cloak.

He knocked into a man dressed for the weather, his wing swinging out and shoving the innocent bystander aside as he moved for a clear path at Tifa. His eyes turned to regard the strange as the black-cloaked man hissed at him, but their eyes met for a brief moment. Cloud felt darkness, but he hissed loudly as his own darkness countered the attack away.

"Don't get in my way," he snapped and ran after Tifa who had just gotten around the corner and disappeared. He felt the orange eyes on his back as he ran.

"…so, you're **his** one and only child?"

Cloud twisted around the corner and spotted Tifa standing near Aerith's one of many gardens. He growled low in his throat as she tossed the bucket aside and beckoned him to come at her. He leapt to easily cover the distance between them, and he expected her to kick him. Instead, she leapt into his arms.

He stumbled to the side even as his arms came up to support her weight as her arms wrapped around his neck and legs around his midsection. She was laughing as her fingers pushed through his blonde hair, swishing around the soaked spikes, and all he could do was grumble at her for this stupid prank.

"You are so funny when you're mad," Tifa told him, trailing her fingers along his jaw. "That's the first time I have been able to catch you completely off your guard."

He didn't particularly find this assessment amusing, but it seemed to be too much energy to dispute it now that she was in his arms. She was warm against him even as the rain poured down and soaked whatever hadn't been soaked before, and he found her reluctant to release her hold on him. It was not such a bad day now that he was wet.

"I hate you," he muttered. He shifted his grip so that he had an arm curled around the small of her back to support her.

"No, you don't. You love me," Tifa replied good-naturely. "Admit it."

Cloud scowled darkly. "I love to hate you," he said instead.

Tifa laughed and leaned down to kiss him. He allowed the gesture, since he figured that it would make her easier to dump to the ground. He even tilted his face up and pressed his lips back, feeling how her arms tightened around his shoulders and her body pressed in against his own. So it wasn't so bad being wet on a day like this.

He had a single moment of feeling a sense of calm acceptance. Then, he had a single moment of feeling everything go wrong.

Cloud lurched as powerful darkness blasted into his back right between his shoulder blades, and he was knocked over. He fell on top of Tifa as her limbs loosened immediately to let him go, and he turned his head to tell off that bastard from before.

He stopped short as his eyes fell on Sephiroth instead, and it was rare to see such anger in the older man. He pushed himself up by his hands, but that was as far as he managed by himself as Sephiroth teleported over to his side and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He was roughly dragged away, his wing curling around the older man's arm.

"Cloud!" Tifa was probably getting to her feet to follow.

He was dropped unceremoniously to the wet ground, but he drew himself back to his feet. He fell back after Sephiroth backhanded him across the face, rolling onto his side as he felt the brunt of the older man's anger. He felt a leg step over him, trapping him between them, and he knew that somehow – for some reason – Sephiroth was beyond reasoning with.

"Cloud, gather your things like a good wayward child…" Sephiroth voice was practiced calm, but underneath it was clear that rage boiled. There was no escaping the older man's wrath. "And who might you be, little girl?"

"Don't…" Cloud managed to say, curling his wing around Sephiroth's leg. "Spare her."

There was silence before he felt the protectiveness of Sephiroth's legs move backwards. He looked up as the silver-haired man fell into a crouch next to him, fingertips reaching out to stroke his bruising cheek. He pushed himself so that he was sitting up, not daring to draw more attention to Tifa who seemed to have the good sense not to come over.

"Spare her… life?" Sephiroth sounded suddenly incredulous. "**You** are asking _me_ to show mercy? Why should I show mercy to anyone?"

Cloud snarled softly and grasped Sephiroth around the throat, moving so that he was sitting on his knees. He pushed his face up into the older man's, baring his teeth even as he felt Sephiroth's gloved fingers tangle in his hair. "She's my friend… they are my friends."

"Friends?" Sephiroth repeated the word as if tasting it for the first time. He had to wonder if it was the first time that the older man had spoken such a word. "Friends," was spat into his face as Sephiroth hissed coldly into his ear. "We do not have friends, my little hatchling. We are above such pitiful interaction. You were simply using them, were you not?"

"No… they are my…" Cloud let out a harsh cry of pain as Masamune materialized in Sephiroth's hand and sliced into his side. "…"

"I praise your manipulative side, Cloud. You are still so young, and I was of the thinking that your manipulative side would come out later in life. Yet, here you are… proving me wrong by using these simple-minded humans." Sephiroth drew him into an embrace with one arm as the other twisted the long blade in his guts, forcing another cry from his lips. "Such a good child… learning your true potential already."

Hissing, he sunk his claws into Sephiroth's thigh, but the older man seemed unaffected by the pain. He dug his claws in deeper only to watch as a smirk of possessive arrogance twisted the older man's lips. He had never seen Sephiroth like this unless in the thrall of bloodlust, and he lifted his other hand to strike the older man.

He was not completely surprised when Sephiroth seized his wrist and jerked him upwards to allow him to hang just above the ground. He frowned darkly. "They are my friends," he repeated coldly, as if to drive home the point that he could think on his own without the need for Sephiroth's approval.

While the expression didn't change, it was clear that Sephiroth was mildly surprised by his insistence. He whipped a hand out to block the impending blow from the older man, but Sephiroth was not holding anything back and shoved him aside. His wing swatted aside Sephiroth's when it came in to curl around his neck, and he clawed at the feathers.

Cloud turned his head enough to note that everyone had joined Tifa even as it poured with rain. Leon held the look of a man not certain if he should join in, but Tifa was clearly ready to come and defend him. He shook his head at her, and he paid a small price for looking their way as the Masamune swung in so easily and clipped his wing as he ducked under the blade. He snarled angrily.

"Why Cloud, I do believe this is the first time I have ever seen you protective over something… other than yourself," Sephiroth drawled, voice still somehow masking so much of the anger that was there below the surface. It was only because he knew Sephiroth so well that he could sense how the older man's temper boiled. "I leave you a few weeks to your own devises… and _this _is how you waste your time?"

"I will go back with you," Cloud said firmly. "I wasn't planning on staying."

Sephiroth looked at him as if measuring the truthfulness of his words. The damage to the older man's thigh didn't seem to hold any measure on how Sephiroth walked towards him. "You are mine, Cloud. I raised you, and I will not stand here while these… mortals twist you."

Cloud clenched his fists but didn't back away as Sephiroth leaned over him from the greater height. "They have not twisted me."

"But they have. My hatchling would never ask for mercy, would never beg at my feet to spare a life." He could see where this was going fast, and he wasn't comfort even as Sephiroth's fingers came up to pick at the red cloak around his shoulders. "No, no, _my_ little hatchling would be the first to slit their miserable pathetic throats and feast on their blood."

Glancing over to the group, he nodded his head. There was no argument that he could make, and he found having Sephiroth batter away at his previous mindset caused all the questions and confusion to rise again in his mind. Why didn't he kill them? He still could. "I could still do it," he said to defend himself.

Sephiroth gestured with a single hand towards where the three women and Leon stood. A dark smirk had formed on the older man's lips. "Well, go on them. Prove it to me now, and I will not punish you like a filthy little puppy."

"I don't have a sword," Cloud said stubbornly. He knew very well he could use his claws, but he wanted to deflect Sephiroth from this topic.

"Just this once, my vicious little one… you may use mine," Sephiroth replied and pushed the long-bladed Masamune into his hands. "Go on now. She is easy to use for such simple work. She won't reject you, Cloud… you're my hatchling after all."

It was a perverse feeling of wrongness to be holding the Masamune. Even in his young childhood and infancy, he had been taught early that the Masamune was completely off limits. He could look at the blade, even admire it up close, but he was never to hold Her or swing Her. It was an unspoken rule, just as Sephiroth no longer handled his Buster Sword out of respect for his usage of the blade. To hold the Masamune was like being given the greatest treasure in the world, a treasure he was undeserving of.

He tried to hand the blade back, shaking his head. "No… She's yours," he said, not wanting to hold the fine blade any longer. It felt so wrong.

Sephiroth seemed to understand his unspoken reasons for pushing the blade back but the older man stepped away and pointed at the group. "The faster you finish, the sooner I shall take Her back from you." There was a note of finality in Sephiroth's voice.

Cloud looked over to where his friends were standing together, his expression hardening. Did he take his friends whom he had known for only a few weeks over Sephiroth who had raised him since the day he had hatched? It seemed that bringing in the stretch of time spent with each solidified how silly he was being in refusing to do this. Time did not require his torn emotions to get involved, and that made it clear where his loyalties – even the minor ones – should lie.

"Cloud…" Tifa murmured in disbelief as he stepped over towards them. She seemed keenly aware of the reach of the Masamune, more so than Yuffie who seemed torn between calling his bluff and fighting him. "Are you really going to do this?"

"I must," he said simply, pushing through the rain towards where they stood. It shouldn't have felt so difficult.

He was surprised when Leon stepped to the front of the group. "Why? Because he told you to? I thought you prided yourself for never doing what someone else says." That obstinate stare caused a snarl to curl his lips. "How long do you plan on letting him rule your life before you actually start to think for yourself?"

The Masamune sung through the air, cutting it so much cleaner than his own Buster Sword. He pressed the sharp side to Leon's throat. "You are in no position to question my motivations."

"Oh, I'm in perfect position to," Leon retorted coldly. "Between you and the people I protect."

Cloud scowled. "Do you want to die?"

"No, and I don't think you're going to kill me either." He stared at Leon, trying to judge where this conversation was going. "If you had wanted to kill me, you would have done it by now. I bet you're just grasping for an excuse in that thick head of yours to get out of doing this."

He moved quickly, the blade flicking up and slicing on the diagonal of Leon's face. He clipped the brunette from the bridge of the nose to the middle of the forehead, hissing as he retracted the blade at the sight and smell of fresh blood. He was certain that mark would scar, and he could hear Sephiroth softly chuckling, though he was not certain if that was due to his use of the sword or his growing hesitation.

His blue eyes shifted to regard Tifa who had stepped in front of Leon as Aerith looked to the injury. He raised the Masamune threateningly, hissing in anger when she stepped up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His hold on the blade wavered as she stroked the back of his head with a hand, pushing off the dripping water so it slid down his neck.

"…Tifa…"

"It's okay," she soothed softly.

He released his own on the long-bladed Masamune and closed his eyes, resting himself against her. He made no move to embrace her in return, feeling a heavy weight of indecision pressing down on him. She comforted him, but there would be little to stave off Sephiroth's anger. He didn't want them hurt, but how could he stop it from happening? Why had he changed so much just because he had friends who would soothe him or talk him down like an equal?

His eyes snapped open as the familiar sound of Masamune slid in his ears, and he immediately dived to the side, an arm around Tifa's waist forcing her to come with him. He rolled up on a knee and twisted around, facing the spot where they had once been standing and the Masamune in their place. He stared at Sephiroth, his wing rising from under the cloak threateningly.

"You need to have a spanking like a naughty child," Sephiroth said with such an air of simplicity that it threw him for a moment. It felt like that was the only course of action for them. "Shall I humiliate you, Cloud?"

"I won't let you kill them," he replied, rising to his feet again. His side burned from where he had been stabbed, but that was a sign that it was healing. "I don't want to be alone like you are. I have something to protect."

He closed his eyes as the Masamune flicked out, cutting open his cheek. His hand snapped up and grab the blade, twisting it to the side even as blood spilled down his cheek and neck. He stared defiantly at Sephiroth, watching as those green eyes narrowed with displeasure.

"I refuse to accept this as your choice," Sephiroth said. "You have simply strayed a little from the path set out for you, but you shall return to it soon enough."

Cloud stepped forward, pushing the blade away from his face. He suddenly charged – perhaps foolishly – slashing with his claw when he came close enough into range. He snorted in displeasure when Sephiroth simply leapt back and slapped him in the face with the flat-side of Masamune, taunting him. He batted the blade away again.

He clenched his right hand, reaching out to his sword lying back at the house. He called to it, trying to draw it to his current location, even if his usage of magic and summoning was extremely weak. It was worth a try to call out to it.

Sephiroth chuckled at him, raising a silver eyebrow at him. "Summoning? I do not believe that I've taught you that yet, Cloud. The longer the range, the harder it is to move an object even if you are bonded to it. Your undeveloped skills could barely move a small stone let alone your sword." The mocking words held too much truth to them. "Stop wasting your energy."

He did. There was no way that he could gather enough energy to draw his weapon to him, let alone have any sense of accuracy in the first place. His usage of magic was non-existent. They had not gotten that far in his lessons because Sephiroth expected him to learn the rudimentary way before being handed the short-cut route.

Sliding to his right, Cloud avoided Sephiroth's attempt to impale him again. He flipped over the blade as it swung to take his legs out, using his wing to draw himself higher in the air. It was impossible to move out of range, but he kicked the swinging blade aside as it came at him. Sephiroth simply turned it and swung back in an attempt to take out his wing instead.

He dropped himself suddenly, though his hand whipped up to grab the blade. He swung his weight up and settled into a crouch of the narrow on the dull side, staring down at Sephiroth. He smirked when Sephiroth flicked the blade in an attempt to dislodge him, but he simply gripped tighter and went along. Even when he was flipped over, he continued to stare and smirk. He had no reason to dislodge himself now that he was in good position to draw all of Sephiroth's attention.

"I see you are going to continue to be obstinate." Sephiroth regarded him for a moment, and he would have liked anything to know what the older man was thinking. There was something in the way that Sephiroth looked at him which caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise in warning.

He was flipped back to being right-side up and held aloft with Sephiroth's left hand. His eyes narrowed as darkness rolled off the older man as Sephiroth's right hand began to weave the darkness together into a form that seemed much solider than it should have been.

"Cloud, above you," Tifa and Aerith cried in unison.

His eyes rose to regard the forming halo of red light before he released his grip on the sword and slid down towards Sephiroth. It was a spell, a very dark and very powerful spell. He needed to interrupt the casting of it, or he was certain that he wouldn't like the effects that it brought.

"Descend Heartless Angel," Sephiroth whispered, probably aware that his closing distance would allow him to hear it nonetheless.

Cloud twisted as the magic plunged into his body, wracking his frame as his life energy was stolen from him. He could feel as it was ripped from every particle of his being, drawn by the magic so fast that he could not even form a curse or scream of pain. He simply arched as his muscles constricted and locked up for a single moment then all loosened so he slid limply from the blade to fall in a heap at Sephiroth's feet.

He felt distantly the cold press of the Masamune against his cut cheek. "Now, let us not have to repeat that lesson again," the older man said and even in his weakened state, he could tell that Sephiroth was pleased. "You are alive because I wish it so, my precious. Always remember that your life continues because I want you to live, nothing more."

The scene unfolded in a manner that should have drawn anger from him. His head had turned towards his friends when he had fallen, and he suspected that that too was part of Sephiroth's want. He was forced to watch as Tifa flew at Sephiroth in an attempt to get to him, but it was such a lazy flick of the Masamune that cut her down and unrefined darkness that blew her into the nearby wall. She slumped unmoving to the ground.

Leon surged forward with the gunblade. There was a moment when sword strikes were exchanged, but there was no contest on the differences of skill. Sephiroth was playing, enjoying this moment of robbing him of the cancerous warping that had taken him further from the older man than distance could ever define.

It was a simple matter of disarming Leon and patting the brunette on the throat with the flat-side of the blade. "Check mate," Sephiroth purred in pleasure.

Leon's body flew from his vision, but his ears picked up the sound of impact into something solid. He tried to order his muscles to move, but there was nothing other than numbness to reach back to him. He mentally cursed, watching helplessly as Sephiroth advanced on Yuffie and Aerith.

Yuffie was blown head over heels for even taking a step in challenge towards Sephiroth, the magic just as unrefined as what had been used against Tifa. She never even attempted to get up again, leaving Aerith behind standing before Sephiroth.

She was smiling. Cloud wondered why she was smiling, her hands folded in front of her. She didn't even seem bothered by the fact that all her comrades lay dying or dead around her, and her smile didn't falter even when Sephiroth seized her by the throat. He wanted her to run, to kick and scream for release, to demand Sephiroth take him and go… to never return to their crushed lives again.

Aerith said none of those things. No, her words floated through the haziness of his mind and the rain hitting the stone. "You must love him very much," she said. "I'm glad that he has someone who will protect him. He loves you as well; he thought about you a lot while he was here with us."

Cloud expected her limp body to fall to the wet ground or to be blasted apart by magic. He knew that no one ever got away with talking to Sephiroth like that, mostly because he had never heard anyone speaking such words. He was expecting a violent reaction because Sephiroth's anger was still so plain behind that mask of violent pleasure.

Instead, Sephiroth simply placed her back on the ground and withdrew. It was a gesture of mercy that had never come out in the older man, and Cloud made a soft whimpering noise as the silver-haired man walked over to him. He waited for the spell that would kill Aerith for he was certain that it would come.

He groaned as he was scooped up roughly and settled on Sephiroth's armoured shoulder, not even able to fight a little. He could simply lay limp as he was carried off through the Third District of town. Not even the Heartless made their normal appearance, and he was certain that it was Sephiroth's anger that fixed that.

"That was quite the show," a voice called, one he didn't recognize. He felt Sephiroth come to a stop only because his limbs swung as the older man turned. "He's quite the handful, it seems."

"Where are my books," Sephiroth spat, showing only a portion of the anger that he knew was still there. "If you failed in bringing them, I will cut you down and throw you back to my Guardian."

"You worry too much. I have already safely delivered the books to the Olympic Coliseum, since this rain isn't very conducive to reading." He was definitely certain he had never heard that voice before, and he wondered if Sephiroth had met this man on the travels away from him. "Is he normally this wayward?"

Sephiroth tightened an arm around his waist, and he wished that he could struggle. This position was very humiliating. "He is stubborn," the older man said simply. "His waywardness shall be corrected in the coming days."

"Ah, so you will punish him," the voice said. It was clearly amused, but there was something else as well. "May I have a look at him?"

"You can see him just fine where you are standing," Sephiroth snapped. It suddenly became clear that the older man was both being possessive and not in the mood to trust anyone right now.

"Is that the first time you've used such darkness on him?" There was a knowing tone to the man's voice. "I have a theory."

Sephiroth made a simple 'hrm' noise. "I am not interested in your theories, Ansem. I have better things to do with my time than play around with you." The disdain was only emphasized because Sephiroth actually turned a back on this Ansem fellow and began to walk away.

For what it was worth, Ansem didn't seem bothered by Sephiroth's coldness and followed along. "You know, I do not believe you could have killed him with that spell." He lurched as Sephiroth stopped dead. "You could suck his lifeforce out, but because he is of your race, you cannot kill him with it. His body naturally resists darkness spells, even the instant death ones. I also am of the opinion you had to put a considerable more effort to pull that off than you let on because you knew he would not drop with the normal power level of that spell."

There was a moment when Cloud thought he would be dropped to the ground. His fuzzy brain took in the words, but they currently made little sense. His lacking experience in magic also played a hindrance to his understanding of this particular part of the conversation.

"What do you want, Ansem," Sephiroth finally demanded.

"Let me take a look at him," Ansem replied and the shuffle of material indicated the other man's approach to him. "He is already soaked from the rain, so it should not make a difference."

"He will not be a part of this conversation," Sephiroth said slowly. He wanted to stiffen as he was shifted on Sephiroth's shoulder and lowered to the ground. "He's tainted enough without your dirty hands on him."

"As you wish."

He watched as Sephiroth's boots entered into his line of sight, distantly feeling how his wet spikes were pushed back from his face. Some of his hair was red from the blood sliding down his cheek, but Sephiroth did not draw his head up so that he could see the expression on the older man's face. "You shall receive your punishment later, Cloud. For now, rest up."

His world went black and was swallowed by darkness.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

**Author's Notes:**

I actually wrote that chapter faster than I thought I would. I guess by the time I got to Sephiroth coming back, I was on my game. I did enjoy writing Sephiroth entering on the scene again, since he's such a possessive little bitch. He makes me laugh.

I will be putting the rating of this story to 'M' now. It's kind of gotten a little beyond 'T', and the next chapter will require a mature rating.

I was honestly going to try to fit in Cloud's punishment in this chapter, but that confrontation took longer than I expected. So, I'm sorry. I didn't end the chapter with that rough mansex that I have been promising. I'll start the next chapter with it, to give everyone – myself included – something to look forward to. Cloud needs his rough possessive man-beast to do bad things to him anyway… he deserves it for kissing a girl. Such a wayward child… I still blame Tifa and her big boobies.


End file.
